Unbundling the retail gas market: Current activities and guidance for serving residential and small customers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costello, K.W.; Lemon, J.R.

1996-05-01

The restructuring of retail gas services has followed a typical pattern for previously heavily regulated industries: large customers are initially given rights to purchase unbundled services from different entities, with the same rights dispersed over time to smaller customers. For about ten years now industrial customers in most states have been able to open-quotes play the marketclose quotes. Since the passage of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636 in 1992, interest has centered on expanding service unbundling to small retail customers, including residential customers. Importantly, the Order prohibited pipelines from providing bundled sales service. This is not surprising - in the telecommunications industry, for example, the unbundling of wholesale services was a strong stimulant for developing competition in the local exchange market. The push for small-customer service unbundling has derived from the basic but politically attractive idea that all retail customers should directly benefit from competitive forces in the natural gas industry. When one looks at the movement of prices since 1985, it is easy to see that large retail customers have enjoyed more favorable prices than other retail customers. For example, over the period 1985 to 1994 gas prices to industrial customers and electric utilities fell around 23 percent and 36 percent, respectively. In comparison, gas prices to residential customers increased by around 5 percent while gas prices to commercial customers decreased slightly by about 1 percent. This report examines various aspects of unbundling to small retail gas customers, with special emphasis on residential customers

Unbundling the retail gas market: Current activities and guidance for serving residential and small customers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costello, K.W.; Lemon, J.R.

1996-05-01

The restructuring of retail gas services has followed a typical pattern for previously heavily regulated industries: large customers are initially given rights to purchase unbundled services from different entities, with the same rights dispersed over time to smaller customers. For about ten years now industrial customers in most states have been able to {open_quotes}play the market{close_quotes}. Since the passage of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636 in 1992, interest has centered on expanding service unbundling to small retail customers, including residential customers. Importantly, the Order prohibited pipelines from providing bundled sales service. This is not surprising - in the telecommunications industry, for example, the unbundling of wholesale services was a strong stimulant for developing competition in the local exchange market. The push for small-customer service unbundling has derived from the basic but politically attractive idea that all retail customers should directly benefit from competitive forces in the natural gas industry. When one looks at the movement of prices since 1985, it is easy to see that large retail customers have enjoyed more favorable prices than other retail customers. For example, over the period 1985 to 1994 gas prices to industrial customers and electric utilities fell around 23 percent and 36 percent, respectively. In comparison, gas prices to residential customers increased by around 5 percent while gas prices to commercial customers decreased slightly by about 1 percent. This report examines various aspects of unbundling to small retail gas customers, with special emphasis on residential customers.

Energy efficiency to reduce residential electricity and natural gas use under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyna, Janet L; Chester, Mikhail V

2017-05-15

Climate change could significantly affect consumer demand for energy in buildings, as changing temperatures may alter heating and cooling loads. Warming climates could also lead to the increased adoption and use of cooling technologies in buildings. We assess residential electricity and natural gas demand in Los Angeles, California under multiple climate change projections and investigate the potential for energy efficiency to offset increased demand. We calibrate residential energy use against metered data, accounting for differences in building materials and appliances. Under temperature increases, we find that without policy intervention, residential electricity demand could increase by as much as 41-87% between 2020 and 2060. However, aggressive policies aimed at upgrading heating/cooling systems and appliances could result in electricity use increases as low as 28%, potentially avoiding the installation of new generation capacity. We therefore recommend aggressive energy efficiency, in combination with low-carbon generation sources, to offset projected increases in residential energy demand.

Electric and gas utility marketing of residential energy conservation case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-05-01

The objective of this research was to obtain information about utility conservation marketing techniques from companies actively engaged in performing residential conservation services. Many utilities currently are offering comprehensive services (audits, listing of contractors and lenders, post-installation inspection, advertising, and performing consumer research). Activities are reported for the following utilities: Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation; Tampa Electric Company; Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division; Northern States Power-Wisconsin; Public Service Company of Colorado; Arizona Public Service Company; Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Sacramento Municipal Utility District; and Pacific Power and Light Company.

New gas in old pipes: opening the UK residential gas market to competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waddams Price, C.; Bennett, M.

1999-01-01

The United Kingdom is introducing competition to its residential gas and electricity markets, the first such experiment on a national level. This paper analyses the behaviour of suppliers and consumers in the first market to be opened, based on suppliers' posted prices, two questionnaires to consumers and information from the incumbent. The results confirm predictions about the unwinding of cross-subsidies; a surprisingly small proportion of consumers are switching to other suppliers, and they are not evenly distributed across consumer groups, raising important policy questions about the future of regulation in such markets

Integration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) with grid connected residential photovoltaic energy systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nagarajan, Adarsh; Shireen, Wajiha

2013-06-01

This paper proposes an approach for integrating Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) to an existing residential photovoltaic system, to control and optimize the power consumption of residential load. Control involves determining the source from which residential load will be catered, where as optimization of power flow reduces the stress on the grid. The system built to achieve the goal is a combination of the existing residential photovoltaic system, PHEV, Power Conditioning Unit (PCU), and a controller. The PCU involves two DC-DC Boost Converters and an inverter. This paper emphasizes on developing the controller logic and its implementation in order to accommodate the flexibility and benefits of the proposed integrated system. The proposed controller logic has been simulated using MATLAB SIMULINK and further implemented using Digital Signal Processor (DSP) microcontroller, TMS320F28035, from Texas Instruments

Dynamic integration of residential building design and green energies : the Bireth approach : building integrated renewable energy total harvest approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheung, K.P. [Hong Kong Univ., Hong Kong (China). Dept. of Architecture; Luk, C.L.P. [Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong (China). Dept. of Architecture; Wong, S.T. [Hong Kong Univ., Hong Kong (China). Div. of Arts and Humanities, SPACE; Chung, S.L.; Fung, K.S.; Leung, M.F. [Hong Kong Inst. of Vocational Education, Hong Kong (China)

2006-07-01

Renewable energy sources that are commonly used in buildings include solar energy, wind energy and rainwater collection. High quality environmentally responsive residential buildings are designed to provide good insulation in winter and solar shading in summer. However, this study demonstrated that the green energy design in residential buildings is not usually well integrated. For example, windows with clear double or triple glazed glass, allow good penetration of sunlight during the day in winter, but are not further dynamically insulated for when the sun goes down to avoid heat loss from the building. Additionally, good solar static shading devices often block much needed daylight on cloudy winter days. These examples emphasize the lack of an integrated approach to gain the best advantage of green energies and to minimize energy costs in residential buildings. This study addressed issues facing the integrated approach with particular reference to the design of a small residential building in rural Beijing. The design included a new approach for interpreting a traditional Beijing court yard house in the modern Beijing rural context, while integrating multi-responding innovative green energy applications derived from first principles. This paper also presented a proposal for a village house in Hong Kong to harvest as much renewable energies as possible, primarily wind energy and solar energy, that come into contact with the building. The purpose was to work towards a renewable energy approach for buildings, namely the Bireth approach, which will benefit practically all houses by making them zero energy houses. The paper described the feasibility of integrating renewable energies in buildings to fulfill performance requirements such improving ventilation, providing warm interiors, drying clothes, or storing solar and wind energies into power batteries. The challenges facing the development of a proposed micro solar hot air turbine were also presented. 15 refs., 6

Impacts of Imported Liquefied Natural Gas on Residential Appliance Components: Literature Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lekov, Alex; Sturges, Andy; Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle

2009-12-09

An increasing share of natural gas supplies distributed to residential appliances in the U.S. may come from liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. The imported gas will be of a higher Wobbe number than domestic gas, and there is concern that it could produce more pollutant emissions at the point of use. This report will review recently undertaken studies, some of which have observed substantial effects on various appliances when operated on different mixtures of imported LNG. While we will summarize findings of major studies, we will not try to characterize broad effects of LNG, but describe how different components of the appliance itself will be affected by imported LNG. This paper considers how the operation of each major component of the gas appliances may be impacted by a switch to LNG, and how this local impact may affect overall safety, performance and pollutant emissions.

Development and Validation of a Gas-Fired Residential Heat Pump Water Heater - Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael Garrabrant; Roger Stout; Paul Glanville; Janice Fitzgerald; Chris Keinath

2013-01-21

For gas-fired residential water heating, the U.S. and Canada is predominantly supplied by minimum efficiency storage water heaters with Energy Factors (EF) in the range of 0.59 to 0.62. Higher efficiency and higher cost ($700 - $2,000) options serve about 15% of the market, but still have EFs below 1.0, ranging from 0.65 to 0.95. To develop a new class of water heating products that exceeds the traditional limit of thermal efficiency, the project team designed and demonstrated a packaged water heater driven by a gas-fired ammonia-water absorption heat pump. This gas-fired heat pump water heater can achieve EFs of 1.3 or higher, at a consumer cost of $2,000 or less. Led by Stone Mountain Technologies Inc. (SMTI), with support from A.O. Smith, the Gas Technology Institute (GTI), and Georgia Tech, the cross-functional team completed research and development tasks including cycle modeling, breadboard evaluation of two cycles and two heat exchanger classes, heat pump/storage tank integration, compact solution pump development, combustion system specification, and evaluation of packaged prototype GHPWHs. The heat pump system extracts low grade heat from the ambient air and produces high grade heat suitable for heating water in a storage tank for domestic use. Product features that include conventional installation practices, standard footprint and reasonable economic payback, position the technology to gain significant market penetration, resulting in a large reduction of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from domestic hot water production.

Heating great residential units with combustion-motor heat pumps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vossen, W

1982-10-01

Economic usage of combustion-motor heat pumps requires: reliable technology and delivery of the heat pump; design and operation. The heat pump must be integrated perfectly into the heating system. This contributions is based on a three-year operational experience with over 150 heat pumps used mainly in residential and administrative buildings (plus commercial buildings, swimming pools, sport centres etc.). These are heat pumps operating on the compression principle with natural gas, liquid gas, or fuel oil.

Magnets and Seekers: A Network Perspective on Academic Integration inside Two Residential Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Rachel A.

2015-01-01

Residential learning communities aim to foster increased academic and social integration, ideally leading to greater student success. However, the concept of academic integration is often conceptualized and measured at the individual level, rather than the theoretically more consistent community level. Network analysis provides a paradigm and…

Greenhouse gas emissions accounting of urban residential consumption: a household survey based approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Lin

Full Text Available Devising policies for a low carbon city requires a careful understanding of the characteristics of urban residential lifestyle and consumption. The production-based accounting approach based on top-down statistical data has a limited ability to reflect the total greenhouse gas (GHG emissions from residential consumption. In this paper, we present a survey-based GHG emissions accounting methodology for urban residential consumption, and apply it in Xiamen City, a rapidly urbanizing coastal city in southeast China. Based on this, the main influencing factors determining residential GHG emissions at the household and community scale are identified, and the typical profiles of low, medium and high GHG emission households and communities are identified. Up to 70% of household GHG emissions are from regional and national activities that support household consumption including the supply of energy and building materials, while 17% are from urban level basic services and supplies such as sewage treatment and solid waste management, and only 13% are direct emissions from household consumption. Housing area and household size are the two main factors determining GHG emissions from residential consumption at the household scale, while average housing area and building height were the main factors at the community scale. Our results show a large disparity in GHG emissions profiles among different households, with high GHG emissions households emitting about five times more than low GHG emissions households. Emissions from high GHG emissions communities are about twice as high as from low GHG emissions communities. Our findings can contribute to better tailored and targeted policies aimed at reducing household GHG emissions, and developing low GHG emissions residential communities in China.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting of Urban Residential Consumption: A Household Survey Based Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tao; Yu, Yunjun; Bai, Xuemei; Feng, Ling; Wang, Jin

2013-01-01

Devising policies for a low carbon city requires a careful understanding of the characteristics of urban residential lifestyle and consumption. The production-based accounting approach based on top-down statistical data has a limited ability to reflect the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from residential consumption. In this paper, we present a survey-based GHG emissions accounting methodology for urban residential consumption, and apply it in Xiamen City, a rapidly urbanizing coastal city in southeast China. Based on this, the main influencing factors determining residential GHG emissions at the household and community scale are identified, and the typical profiles of low, medium and high GHG emission households and communities are identified. Up to 70% of household GHG emissions are from regional and national activities that support household consumption including the supply of energy and building materials, while 17% are from urban level basic services and supplies such as sewage treatment and solid waste management, and only 13% are direct emissions from household consumption. Housing area and household size are the two main factors determining GHG emissions from residential consumption at the household scale, while average housing area and building height were the main factors at the community scale. Our results show a large disparity in GHG emissions profiles among different households, with high GHG emissions households emitting about five times more than low GHG emissions households. Emissions from high GHG emissions communities are about twice as high as from low GHG emissions communities. Our findings can contribute to better tailored and targeted policies aimed at reducing household GHG emissions, and developing low GHG emissions residential communities in China. PMID:23405187

Patterns of Carbon Storage and Greenhouse Gas Losses in Urban Residential Lawns

Science.gov (United States)

Contosta, A.; Varner, R.; Xiao, J.

2017-12-01

Population density and housing age are two factors believed to impact carbon (C) storage and greenhouse gas emissions in one of the most extensively managed landscapes in the U.S.: the urban lawn. Previous research focusing on either above- or below-ground C dynamics has also not explicitly considered how they interact to affect the net carbon balance in urban residential areas. We addressed this knowledge gap by quantifying both soil and vegetative C stocks and greenhouse gas fluxes across an urban gradient in Manchester, NH, USA that included 34 lawns comprising three population density categories, five housing age classes, and the interaction between them. Using a combination of both weekly, manual measurements and continuous, automated estimates, we also sampled emissions of CH4, CO2, and N2O within a subset of these lawns that represented a range of citywide population density and housing age characteristics and management practices. We found that neither above- nor below-ground C storage varied with population density, but both differed among housing age classes. Soil C storage increased with housing age and was highest in the oldest lawns sampled. By contrast, C stocks in aboveground, woody biomass was highest at intermediate ages and lowest in older and new parcels. Unlike C stocks, soil greenhouse gas emissions did not change among population density categories, housing age classes, or with irrigation and fertilization management, but instead followed temporal trends in soil moisture and temperature. Overall, our results suggest that drivers of C storage and greenhouse gas losses in urban residential areas may not be uniform and their accurate representation in Earth system models may require a variety of approaches.

Integrated urban water management for residential areas: a reuse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, A B; Argue, J R

2009-01-01

Global concern over growing urban water demand in the face of limited water resources has focussed attention on the need for better management of available water resources. This paper takes the "fit for purpose" concept and applies it in the development of a model aimed at changing current practices with respect to residential planning by integrating reuse systems into the design layout. This residential reuse model provides an approach to the design of residential developments seeking to maximise water reuse. Water balance modelling is used to assess the extent to which local water resources can satisfy residential demands with conditions based on the city of Adelaide, Australia. Physical conditions include a relatively flat topography and a temperate climate, with annual rainfall being around 500 mm. The level of water-self-sufficiency that may be achieved within a reuse development in this environment is estimated at around 60%. A case study is also presented in which a conventional development is re-designed on the basis of the reuse model. Costing of the two developments indicates the reuse scenario is only marginally more expensive. Such costings however do not include the benefit to upstream and downstream environments resulting from reduced demand and discharges. As governments look to developers to recover system augmentation and environmental costs the economics of such approaches will increase.

Integrated Payment and Delivery Models Offer Opportunities and Challenges for Residential Care Facilities

OpenAIRE

Grabowski, David C.; Caudry, Daryl J.; Dean, Katie M.; Stevenson, David G.

2015-01-01

Under health care reform, a series of new financing and delivery models are being piloted to integrate health and long-term care services for older adults. To date, these programs have not encompassed residential care facilities, with most programs focusing on long-term care recipients in the community or the nursing home. Our analyses indicate that individuals living in residential care facilities have similarly high rates of chronic illness and Medicare utilization when compared with simila...

Long-term energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions in the Swiss residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siller, Thomas; Kost, Michael; Imboden, Dieter

2007-01-01

The aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities to reach two long-term targets regarding energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of the Swiss residential building stock: a reduction of the final energy consumption by a factor of 3 and of CO 2 emissions by a factor of 5 until 2050. A model is constructed to describe the dynamics of the energy-relevant properties of the residential building stock. Appropriate scenarios are discussed in terms of decisions made during construction or renovation of residential buildings which affect heat demand and determine the energy carriers used for heating and hot water generation. We show that both targets could be reached, although ambitious efforts are necessary. The central element of a successful strategy is to reduce the specific heat demand of existing buildings during renovation and to substitute the heating and hot water systems by less carbon intensive ones. Our results suggest that there is more flexibility to reach the emission target than the energy reduction target

Formulation of models for determination of the fuel gas demand and consumption in residential buildings; Formulacao de modelos para determinacao da demanda e consumo de gas combustivel em edificios residenciais

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ilha, Marina Sangoi de Oliveira [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil. Dept. de Hidraulica e Saneamento; Goncalves, Orestes Marracini [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Escola Politecnica. Dept. de Engenharia de Construcao Civil

1996-07-01

This work presents models for design flow rate and gas volume determination in residential buildings. First, an experimental investigation, applied on a sample of residential buildings at Sao Paulo, Brazil, is described, which essentially consisted in the filling of a form and measurement of gas volume at one minute interval during 10 days (mean). From this data, it was performed a regression analysis in order to explain design flow rate (demand) and gas volume values (consumption), based on different variables. Models proposed on this work are different from the current applied methodology due to their 'open' approach, that is, involved variables can be explicitly found in formulas. (author)

Integrated Management of Residential Energy Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antunes C. H.

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The increasing deployment of distributed generation systems based on renewables in the residential sector, the development of information and communication technologies and the expected evolution of traditional power systems towards smart grids are inducing changes in the passive role of end-users, namely with stimuli to change residential demand patterns. The residential user should be able to make decisions and efficiently manage his energy resources by taking advantages from his flexibility in load usage with the aim to minimize the electricity bill without depreciating the quality of energy services provided. The aim of this paper is characterizing electricity consumption in the residential sector and categorizing the different loads according to their typical usage, working cycles, technical constraints and possible degree of control. This categorization of end-use loads contributes to ascertain the availability of controllable loads to be managed as well as the different direct management actions that can be implemented. The ability to implement different management actions over diverse end-use load will increase the responsiveness of demand and potentially raises the willingness of end-users to accept such activities. The impacts on the aggregated national demand of large-scale dissemination of management systems that would help the end-user to make decisions regarding electricity consumption are predicted using a simulator that generates the aggregated residential sector electricity consumption under variable prices.

Integrated evaluation of radiative heating systems for residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anastaselos, Dimitrios; Theodoridou, Ifigeneia; Papadopoulos, Agis M.; Hegger, Manfred

2011-01-01

Based on the need to reduce CO 2 emissions and minimize energy dependency, the EU Member States have set ambitious energy policies goals and have developed respective, specific regulations, in order to improve the energy performance of the building sector. Thus, specific measures regarding the buildings' envelope, the use of efficient HVAC technologies and the integration of renewable energy systems are being constantly studied and promoted. The effective combination of these three main aspects will consequently result in maximum energy efficiency. Germany has played a key role in this development, with intensive work focusing in the improvement of the energy behaviour of the residential building stock. In this paper, the use of radiative heating systems placing special emphasis on infrared is being studied as part of the energy renovation of residential buildings from the 1970's. This is done by applying an integrated assessment model to evaluate specific interventions regarding the improvement of the energy behaviour of the buildings' envelope and the use of radiative heating systems, based on a thorough Life Cycle Analysis according to criteria of energy, economic and environmental performance, as well as thermal comfort. -- Highlights: → Assessment of energy, economic and environmental performance of heating systems. → Life Cycle Analysis in combination with the quality of thermal comfort. → Effectiveness of interventions in already partially insulated buildings.

Hierarchical predictive control scheme for distributed energy storage integrated with residential demand and photovoltaic generation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lampropoulos, I.; Garoufalis, P.; van den Bosch, P.P.J.; Kling, W.L.

2015-01-01

A hierarchical control scheme is defined for the energy management of a battery energy storage system which is integrated in a low-voltage distribution grid with residential customers and photovoltaic installations. The scope is the economic optimisation of the integrated system by employing

1997 survey of residential direct sales of natural gas in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacalso, N.; Given, G.

1997-01-01

This report comments on the prevailing state of direct sales of natural gas in Canada and shows how the situation has changed since the Canadian Energy Research Institute initiated its first survey in 1994. The report describes current regulations relating to direct sales and quantifies direct sales activity in each of the provinces. Information on direct sales volumes and the number of direct sales customers contained in the report was gathered through interviews with local distribution companies, provincial regulatory commissions and many natural gas brokers and marketers. It was noted that Ontario and Quebec (where the industry is self-regulating) were the two provinces with the highest volumes of residential direct sales. The need for regular monitoring was recommended in view of the current climate of rapid changes in the energy market. 7 tabs., 1 fig

Segmentation of Residential Gas Consumers Using Clustering Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta P. Fernandes

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The growing environmental concerns and liberalization of energy markets have resulted in an increased competition between utilities and a strong focus on efficiency. To develop new energy efficiency measures and optimize operations, utilities seek new market-related insights and customer engagement strategies. This paper proposes a clustering-based methodology to define the segmentation of residential gas consumers. The segments of gas consumers are obtained through a detailed clustering analysis using smart metering data. Insights are derived from the segmentation, where the segments result from the clustering process and are characterized based on the consumption profiles, as well as according to information regarding consumers’ socio-economic and household key features. The study is based on a sample of approximately one thousand households over one year. The representative load profiles of consumers are essentially characterized by two evident consumption peaks, one in the morning and the other in the evening, and an off-peak consumption. Significant insights can be derived from this methodology regarding typical consumption curves of the different segments of consumers in the population. This knowledge can assist energy utilities and policy makers in the development of consumer engagement strategies, demand forecasting tools and in the design of more sophisticated tariff systems.

Integrating a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle with vehicle-to-grid technology, photovoltaic power and a residential building

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robledo, C.B.; Oldenbroek, V.D.W.M.; Abbruzzese, F.; van Wijk, A.J.M.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the results of a demonstration project, including building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solar panels, a residential building and a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) for combined mobility and power generation, aiming to achieve a net zero-energy residential building

Analyzing the Impact of Residential Building Attributes, Demographic and Behavioral Factors on Natural Gas Usage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Livingston, Olga V.; Cort, Katherine A.

2011-03-03

study attempts to bridge that gap by analyzing behavioral data and investigate the applicability of additive nonparametric regression to this task. This study evaluates the impact of 31 regressors on residential natural gas usage. The regressors include weather, economic variables, demographic and behavioral characteristics, and building attributes related to energy use. In general, most of the regression results were in line with previous engineering and economic studies in this area. There were, however, some counterintuitive results, particularly with regard to thermostat controls and behaviors. There are a number of possible reasons for these counterintuitive results including the inability to control for regional climate variability due to the data sanitization (to prevent identification of respondents), inaccurate data caused by to self-reporting, and the fact that not all relevant behavioral variables were included in the data set, so we were not able to control for them in the study. The results of this analysis could be used as an in-sample prediction for approximating energy demand of a residential building whose characteristics are described by the regressors in this analysis, but a certain combination of their particular values does not exist in the real world. In addition, this study has potential applications for benefit-cost analysis of residential upgrades and retrofits under a fixed budget, because the results of this study contain information on how natural gas consumption might change once a particular characteristic or attribute is altered. Finally, the results of this study can help establish a relationship between natural gas consumption and changes in behavior of occupants.

Development of Residential SOFC Cogeneration System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Takashi; Miyachi, Itaru; Suzuki, Minoru; Higaki, Katsuki

2011-01-01

Since 2001 Kyocera has been developing 1kW class Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) for power generation system. We have developed a cell, stack, module and system. Since 2004, Kyocera and Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. have been developed SOFC residential co-generation system. From 2007, we took part in the 'Demonstrative Research on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells' Project conducted by New Energy Foundation (NEF). Total 57 units of 0.7kW class SOFC cogeneration systems had been installed at residential houses. In spite of residential small power demand, the actual electric efficiency was about 40%(netAC,LHV), and high CO2 reduction performance was achieved by these systems. Hereafter, new joint development, Osaka Gas, Toyota Motors, Kyocera and Aisin Seiki, aims early commercialization of residential SOFC CHP system.

Development of Residential SOFC Cogeneration System

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Takashi; Miyachi, Itaru; Suzuki, Minoru; Higaki, Katsuki

2011-06-01

Since 2001 Kyocera has been developing 1kW class Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) for power generation system. We have developed a cell, stack, module and system. Since 2004, Kyocera and Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. have been developed SOFC residential co-generation system. From 2007, we took part in the "Demonstrative Research on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells" Project conducted by New Energy Foundation (NEF). Total 57 units of 0.7kW class SOFC cogeneration systems had been installed at residential houses. In spite of residential small power demand, the actual electric efficiency was about 40%(netAC,LHV), and high CO2 reduction performance was achieved by these systems. Hereafter, new joint development, Osaka Gas, Toyota Motors, Kyocera and Aisin Seiki, aims early commercialization of residential SOFC CHP system.

The impact of oil and natural gas facilities on rural residential property values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boxall, P.C.

2005-01-01

This PowerPoint presentation examined challenges in the economic valuation of environmental changes within the context of formal real estate markets. It was proposed that some values that are expressed in markets can be affected by environmental changes and should be used in resource development land assessments. Details of indirect market valuation and revealed preference methods were reviewed. An outline of hedonic pricing was presented. It was noted that hedonic pricing can be used with other market values and prices such as tourism, art prices and hotel prices, where multivariate regression techniques are used and regression coefficients reveal information on the implicit prices of certain characteristics. Property value examples in the environmental economics literature were reviewed. A case study using data from eco-terrorism costs was presented. Issues concerning sour gas facilities were discussed with reference to public anxiety over hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) toxicity and flares. Concerns over health risks and negative amenity impacts were discussed. The impacts of sour gas facilities on property values of residential acreages in and around Calgary were considered, and a map of the study area was presented. An outline of emergency plan response zones was provided. Price effects of industry facilities were presented, including marginal and cumulative impacts on price. It was concluded that oil and gas activities have significant impacts on rural residential property prices, but that industry members currently report that there is little to no effect. It was suggested that the research presented in this paper could be used to assess levels of compensation. tabs., figs

A Framework for Understanding and Generating Integrated Solutions for Residential Peak Energy Demand

Science.gov (United States)

Buys, Laurie; Vine, Desley; Ledwich, Gerard; Bell, John; Mengersen, Kerrie; Morris, Peter; Lewis, Jim

2015-01-01

Supplying peak energy demand in a cost effective, reliable manner is a critical focus for utilities internationally. Successfully addressing peak energy concerns requires understanding of all the factors that affect electricity demand especially at peak times. This paper is based on past attempts of proposing models designed to aid our understanding of the influences on residential peak energy demand in a systematic and comprehensive way. Our model has been developed through a group model building process as a systems framework of the problem situation to model the complexity within and between systems and indicate how changes in one element might flow on to others. It is comprised of themes (social, technical and change management options) networked together in a way that captures their influence and association with each other and also their influence, association and impact on appliance usage and residential peak energy demand. The real value of the model is in creating awareness, understanding and insight into the complexity of residential peak energy demand and in working with this complexity to identify and integrate the social, technical and change management option themes and their impact on appliance usage and residential energy demand at peak times. PMID:25807384

Greenhouse gas abatement cost curves of the residential heating market. A microeconomic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dieckhoener, Caroline; Hecking, Harald

2012-01-01

In this paper, we develop a microeconomic approach to deduce greenhouse gas abatement cost curves of the residential heating sector. By accounting for household behavior, we find that welfare-based abatement costs are generally higher than pure technical equipment costs. Our results are based on a microsimulation of private households' investment decision for heating systems until 2030. The households' investment behavior in the simulation is derived from a discrete choice estimation which allows investigating the welfare costs of different abatement policies in terms of the compensating variation and the excess burden. We simulate greenhouse gas abatements and welfare costs of carbon taxes and subsidies on heating system investments until 2030 to deduce abatement curves. Given utility maximizing households, our results suggest a carbon tax to be the welfare efficient policy. Assuming behavioral misperceptions instead, a subsidy on investments might have lower marginal greenhouse gas abatement costs than a carbon tax.

Gas-heating alternatives to the residential electric heat pump. Gas Appliance Technology Center 1987 program. Topical report for Work Area 1.1, October 1989-March 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, C.

1990-05-01

The characteristics of electric heat pumps are described. Options are defined and assessed for utilizing gas heating in conjunction with existing residential electric heat pumps. These options include gas heat introduced into the refrigeration circuit, a flue gas-heated tube bank in the air supply duct, and a hot-water-to-air coil in the supply duct. Economics are presented for conversion of a residence's total space and water heating from electric to gas in New York City and Atlanta. Potential marketing strategies are discussed, and potential gas sales volumes from conversions are estimated. The study concludes that the use of gas water heating coupled with a hydronic coil in the supply ductwork from the air handler is the most advantageous option for the gas industry

Estimating the residential demand function for natural gas in Seoul with correction for sample selection bias

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Seung-Hoon; Lim, Hea-Jin; Kwak, Seung-Jun

2009-01-01

Over the last twenty years, the consumption of natural gas in Korea has increased dramatically. This increase has mainly resulted from the rise of consumption in the residential sector. The main objective of the study is to estimate households' demand function for natural gas by applying a sample selection model using data from a survey of households in Seoul. The results show that there exists a selection bias in the sample and that failure to correct for sample selection bias distorts the mean estimate, of the demand for natural gas, downward by 48.1%. In addition, according to the estimation results, the size of the house, the dummy variable for dwelling in an apartment, the dummy variable for having a bed in an inner room, and the household's income all have positive relationships with the demand for natural gas. On the other hand, the size of the family and the price of gas negatively contribute to the demand for natural gas. (author)

Residential energy use in one-family households with natural gas provision in a city of the Patagonian Andean region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, A.D.; Carlsson-Kanyama, A.; Crivelli, E.S.; Gortari, S.

2007-01-01

Residential energy use was studied in one-family houses in the city of Bariloche, in the Patagonian Andean region of Argentina. A survey was conducted of households connected to the natural gas network to correlate use of gas, living area and number of inhabitants per house. The annual average consumption of gas was found to be 169 GJ, and consumption of electricity 8 GJ. This total energy use per household per year is almost double the average value reported for Stockholm, Sweden, although both locations have similar heating requirements. The difference was mainly due to heating energy consumption per unit living space, which in Bariloche was 1530 MJ/m 2 per year, while in Stockholm the average is around 570 MJ/m 2 per year. The high energy consumption in Bariloche is explained primarily by the construction characteristics of the buildings, and secondarily by the efficiency of the heating devices used. We were able to conclude that subsidies on natural gas tariffs given to the residential sector do not promote a rational use of the resource. Furthermore, almost 40% of the population (mostly households in poverty) are not connected to the subsidised gas resource, but pay prices for alternative fuels that are between 10- and 15 times higher. Policies to improve buildings and appliances would reduce emissions and make access to energy more equitable

Strategies for carbon dioxide emissions reductions: Residential natural gas efficiency, economic, and ancillary health impacts in Maryland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruth, Matthias; Blohm, Andrew; Mauer, Joanna; Gabriel, Steven A.; Kesana, Vijay G.; Chen Yihsu; Hobbs, Benjamin F.; Irani, Daraius

2010-01-01

As part of its commitments to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the State of Maryland, USA, auctions emission permits to electric utilities, creating revenue that can be used to benefit consumers and the environment. This paper explores the CO 2 emissions reductions that may be possible by allocating some of that revenue to foster efficiency improvements in the residential sector's use of natural gas. Since these improvements will require changes to the capital stock of houses and end use equipment, efficiency improvements may be accompanied by economic and ancillary health impacts, both of which are quantified in this paper.

Day-ahead stochastic economic dispatch of wind integrated power system considering demand response of residential hybrid energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Yibo; Xu, Jian; Sun, Yuanzhang; Wei, Congying; Wang, Jing; Ke, Deping; Li, Xiong; Yang, Jun; Peng, Xiaotao; Tang, Bowen

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Improving the utilization of wind power by the demand response of residential hybrid energy system. • An optimal scheduling of home energy management system integrating micro-CHP. • The scattered response capability of consumers is aggregated by demand bidding curve. • A stochastic day-ahead economic dispatch model considering demand response and wind power. - Abstract: As the installed capacity of wind power is growing, the stochastic variability of wind power leads to the mismatch of demand and generated power. Employing the regulating capability of demand to improve the utilization of wind power has become a new research direction. Meanwhile, the micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) allows residential consumers to choose whether generating electricity by themselves or purchasing from the utility company, which forms a residential hybrid energy system. However, the impact of the demand response with hybrid energy system contained micro-CHP on the large-scale wind power utilization has not been analyzed quantitatively. This paper proposes an operation optimization model of the residential hybrid energy system based on price response, integrating micro-CHP and smart appliances intelligently. Moreover, a novel load aggregation method is adopted to centralize scattered response capability of residential load. At the power grid level, a day-ahead stochastic economic dispatch model considering demand response and wind power is constructed. Furthermore, simulation is conducted respectively on the modified 6-bus system and IEEE 118-bus system. The results show that with the method proposed, the wind power curtailment of the system decreases by 78% in 6-bus system. In the meantime, the energy costs of residential consumers and the operating costs of the power system reduced by 10.7% and 11.7% in 118-bus system, respectively.

Energy efficient residential house wall system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldawi, Fayez; Date, Abhijit; Alam, Firoz; Khan, Iftekhar; Alghamdi, Mohammed

2013-01-01

The energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission by the residential housing sector are considered to be one of the largest in economically developed countries. The larger energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission not only put additional pressure on finite fossil fuel resources but also cause global warming and climate change. Additionally, the residential housing sector will be consuming more energy as the house demand and average house floor area are progressively increasing. With currently used residential house wall systems, it is hard to reduce energy consumption for ongoing house space heating and cooling. A smart house wall envelope with optimal thermal masses and insulation materials is vital for reducing our increasing energy consumption. The major aim of this study is to investigate thermal performance and energy saving potential of a new house wall system for variable climate conditions. The thermal performance modelling was carried out using commercially developed software AccuRate ® . The findings indicate that a notable energy savings can be accomplished if a smart house wall system is used. -- Highlights: • Smart house wall system. • Thermal performance modelling and star energy rating. • Energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction

Primer on gas integrated resource planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldman, C.; Comnes, G.A.; Busch, J.; Wiel, S. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

1993-12-01

This report discusses the following topics: gas resource planning: need for IRP; gas integrated resource planning: methods and models; supply and capacity planning for gas utilities; methods for estimating gas avoided costs; economic analysis of gas utility DSM programs: benefit-cost tests; gas DSM technologies and programs; end-use fuel substitution; and financial aspects of gas demand-side management programs.

Demand for natural gas: residential and commercial markets in Ontario and British Columbia. [Econometric-model analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berndt, E R [Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver; Watkins, G C

1977-02-01

An econometric model is used to project natural gas demand in the residential and commercial market sectors. The model specification is a generalization of one developed by Balestra and Nerlove (Econometrica, 34: 585-612(1966)). Demand that is potentially variable because it is not committed to past investments (flexibe demand) is distinguished from demand that is inflexible because it is tied to existing equipment stocks (captive demand). Attention is focused on the effect of temperature variations on gas demand. The nonlinear equation system is estimated by a maximum-likelihood method, using annual data for British Columbia and Ontario during the period of 1959 to 1974. Results show that only in the long run does price have a significant impact on demand. The model is applicable for medium-term policy simulation, but is limited to natural gas fuel. 15 references.

From energy efficiency to integrated sustainable urbanism in residential development in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhichang Cai

2010-06-15

China has adopted Sustainable Development as a national strategy for all industries. In civil construction sector, sustainability is regarded as the development of Green Building in China. Since 2000, China has introduced a series of policies and laws to promote Green Building. Green Building was defined as buildings that are 'energy-efficient, land-efficient, water-efficient, and material-efficient' and emit 'minimal pollution' in during its entire life cycle, and meets a specified standard for indoor environment at the same time. However, energy efficiency is the central issue of current Green Building development in China, while issues of resources and pollution are neglected, which is partly due to China's energy structure. Social and economic aspects are also always ignored. The main aim of this thesis is to map pathways towards more comprehensive frameworks for how residential areas in China could be constructed in a more sustainable way in hot summer and cold-winter area. Case study was the main method used to examine the specifications of Green Residential Building in China. This paper offers a general overview of the current green trend in China and presents a specific analysis on three cases to search for the proper approach for China's unique situation by three specific cases representing three types of Green Building: Modern Vernacular Architecture, Eco-office and Mass-housing, according to their features in scale, location and function. This paper then presents a specific integrated sustainability analysis of the Landsea Housing Project in Nanjing, a hot-summer/cold-winter zone. Hammarby Sjoestad, a cutting edge project in Stockholm, is also discussed as a reference area from which experiences can be drawn for China. The aim was to improve the framework for construction of residential buildings in China in a more sustainable way, from energy efficiency to integrated sustainability. The paper also discusses the relationship

State energy price projections for the residential sector, 1992--1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The purpose of this report, State Energy Price Projections for the Residential Sector, 1992--1993, is to provide projections of State-level residential prices for 1992 and 1993 for the following fuels: electricity, natural gas, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene, and coal. Prices for 1991 are also included for comparison purposes. This report also explains the methodology used to produce these estimates and the limitations

Cathalitic burners for residential gas appliances; Bruciatori catalitici di gas naturale per apparecchi domestici

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Accornero, R.; Canci, F. [Italgas Spa, Rome (Italy)

2000-12-01

The growing interest for the rational use of natural gas as a primary source of energy and for the reduction of pollutant emissions from combustion processes has kindled, in recent years, a widespread interest in studies and experimental investigations on the use of premix burners (either ceramic or metallic) for heat generators in domestic applications. The present paper deals with the R and D activities developed in this field by Italgas, Politecnico di Torino (Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica) and Merloni TermoSanitari, (an Italian gas boiler manufacturer). The technology hereby presented aims at reducing the pollutants emissions (CO, NO{sub x}, HC) in a wide range of working regimes of the burner, typical of residential heat appliances. The positive results in a lab scale experimental pilot plant have been in some cases confirmed in experimental runs performed on boiler prototypes suitable for large scale industrial production. Some projects, financially supported by the European Community and involving, beyond the above mentioned partners, also other gas distribution companies, universities, research institutes and burner manufacturers, are currently in progress to further analyse the performance of these burners. [Italian] Il crescente interesse per l'uso razionale del gas naturale quale fonte energetica primaria e quale combustibile a basso impatto ambientale, ha suscitato, nei tempi piu' recenti, un vasto interesse per gli studi e per le ricerche nel settore dei bruciatori di gas di tipo a premiscelazione, siano essi in materiale ceramico che metallico, allo scopo di rendere praticabile la loro applicazione nei generatori di calore di tipo domestico. L'articolo descrive l'attivita' di R e S sviluppata da Italgas, Politecnico di Torino - Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica - e da Merloni TermoSanitari. La tecnologia sperimentata e' finalizzata alla riduzione delle emissioni di

An energy integrated, multi-microgrid, MILP (mixed-integer linear programming) approach for residential distributed energy system planning – A South Australian case-study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wouters, Carmen; Fraga, Eric S.; James, Adrian M.

2015-01-01

The integration of distributed generation units and microgrids in the current grid infrastructure requires an efficient and cost effective local energy system design. A mixed-integer linear programming model is presented to identify such optimal design. The electricity as well as the space heating and cooling demands of a small residential neighbourhood are satisfied through the consideration and combined use of distributed generation technologies, thermal units and energy storage with an optional interconnection with the central grid. Moreover, energy integration is allowed in the form of both optimised pipeline networks and microgrid operation. The objective is to minimise the total annualised cost of the system to meet its yearly energy demand. The model integrates the operational characteristics and constraints of the different technologies for several scenarios in a South Australian setting and is implemented in GAMS. The impact of energy integration is analysed, leading to the identification of key components for residential energy systems. Additionally, a multi-microgrid concept is introduced to allow for local clustering of households within neighbourhoods. The robustness of the model is shown through sensitivity analysis, up-scaling and an effort to address the variability of solar irradiation. - Highlights: • Distributed energy system planning is employed on a small residential scale. • Full energy integration is employed based on microgrid operation and tri-generation. • An MILP for local clustering of households in multi-microgrids is developed. • Micro combined heat and power units are key components for residential microgrids

Understanding Residential Polarization in a Globalizing City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Rotimi Aliu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study examines the spatial polarization that characterizes the dwellings in the African leading megacity of Lagos. Data were collected through an extensive housing survey carried out on 1,485 household residences in 56 wards within 12 administrative units in Lagos megacity. The spatial dimension of residential density in the city generates three unique residential patterns which are low residential density (LRD, medium residential density (MRD, and high residential density (HRD areas. Descriptive and multivariate inferential statistics were used to render explanations for the spatial variations in the residential quality variables in the study area. Findings indicated that a clear difference exists in the residential quality within the three residential density areas of Lagos. High correlations exist among the residential quality indicators and housing type. The principal component analysis shows that residential polarizations that occur in the LRD, MRD, and HRD are based on the location, dwelling facility, interior and exterior quality, neighborhood integrity, social bond, barrier to entry, and security. The practical implications of residential polarizations along the residential density areas are explicitly expressed.

Market power and the sale of Ontario residential natural gas: An institutional analysis and a laboratory experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Bloemhof, Barbara Lynn

2005-11-01

The Ontario residential natural gas market underwent a significant institutional change in 1986, after the federal government decontrolled natural gas prices. Currently, consumers may sign up for fixed-cost natural gas from a broker, or they may continue to be served by the regulated distribution company. This thesis examines the economic effects on consumers of the institutional change, and particularly whether or not market power was enhanced by the change. In the thesis, I first present the industrial organization of the residential natural gas sector, and explain the institutional evolution using an institutional economic approach. I then construct a model of the market environment, with sellers acting as middlemen in a well-defined Bertrand oligopoly setting with no production constraints and single-unit consumer demands. In this model, the only Nash equilibrium in the one-period game is the joint profit maximizing price, and its likelihood of obtaining depends on the nature of the cost of signing up new customers. I then take a version of this model into the laboratory with human subject sellers and simulated buyers and run six replications each of a balanced treatment design under a unique information mechanism that parallels individual customer canvassing used by sellers in the naturally-occurring market. Treatment variables are: number of sellers, number of simulated at-cost sellers present, and presence of input cost uncertainty for sellers. I find that adding any seller to the market has about the same impact on market price, irrespective of whether it is a human subject or a simulated at-cost seller. Although increasing the number of sellers does decrease the market price somewhat, it does not bring about the competitive outcome predicted by the benchmark microeconomic model. This research contributes to the literature on policy making and energy market design, as well as to experimental methodology aimed at policy evaluation.

Development of a coal fired pulse combustor for residential space heating. Phase I, Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1988-04-01

This report presents the results of the first phase of a program for the development of a coal-fired residential combustion system. This phase consisted of the design, fabrication, testing, and evaluation of an advanced pulse combustor sized for residential space heating requirements. The objective was to develop an advanced pulse coal combustor at the {approximately} 100,000 Btu/hr scale that can be integrated into a packaged space heating system for small residential applications. The strategy for the development effort included the scale down of the feasibility unit from 1-2 MMBtu/hr to 100,000 Btu/hr to establish a baseline for isolating the effect of scale-down and new chamber configurations separately. Initial focus at the residential scale was concentrated on methods of fuel injection and atomization in a bare metal unit. This was followed by incorporating changes to the advanced chamber designs and testing of refractory-lined units. Multi-fuel capability for firing oil or gas as a secondary fuel was also established. Upon completion of the configuration and component testing, an optimum configuration would be selected for integrated testing of the pulse combustor unit. The strategy also defined the use of Dry Ultrafine Coal (DUC) for Phases 1 and 2 of the development program with CWM firing to be a product improvement activity for a later phase of the program.

Possibility of hydrogen supply by shared residential fuel cell systems for fuel cell vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ono Yusuke

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Residential polymer electrolyte fuel cells cogeneration systems (residential PEFC systems produce hydrogen from city gas by internal gas-reformer, and generate electricity, the hot water at the same time. From the viewpoint of the operation, it is known that residential PEFC systems do not continuously work but stop for long time, because the systems generate enough hot water for short operation time. In other words, currently residential PEFC systems are dominated by the amount of hot water demand. This study focuses on the idle time of residential PEFC systems. Since their gas-reformers are free, the systems have potential to produce hydrogen during the partial load operations. The authors expect that residential PEFC systems can take a role to supply hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs before hydrogen fueling stations are distributed enough. From this perspective, the objective of this study is to evaluate the hydrogen production potential of residential PEFC systems. A residential PEFC system was modeled by the mixed integer linear programming to optimize the operation including hydrogen supply for FCV. The objective function represents annual system cost to be minimized with the constraints of energy balance. It should be noted that the partial load characteristics of the gas-reformer and the fuel cell stack are taken into account to derive the optimal operation. The model was employed to estimate the possible amount of hydrogen supply by a residential PEFC system. The results indicated that the system could satisfy at least hydrogen demand for transportation of 8000 km which is as far as the average annual mileage of a passenger car in Japan. Furthermore, hydrogen production by sharing a residential PEFC system with two households is more effective to reduce primary energy consumption with hydrogen supply for FCV than the case of introducing PEFC in each household.

Estimation of bias with the single-zone assumption in measurement of residential air exchange using the perfluorocarbon tracer gas method.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Ryswyk, K; Wallace, L; Fugler, D; MacNeill, M; Héroux, M È; Gibson, M D; Guernsey, J R; Kindzierski, W; Wheeler, A J

2015-12-01

Residential air exchange rates (AERs) are vital in understanding the temporal and spatial drivers of indoor air quality (IAQ). Several methods to quantify AERs have been used in IAQ research, often with the assumption that the home is a single, well-mixed air zone. Since 2005, Health Canada has conducted IAQ studies across Canada in which AERs were measured using the perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) gas method. Emitters and detectors of a single PFT gas were placed on the main floor to estimate a single-zone AER (AER(1z)). In three of these studies, a second set of emitters and detectors were deployed in the basement or second floor in approximately 10% of homes for a two-zone AER estimate (AER(2z)). In total, 287 daily pairs of AER(2z) and AER(1z) estimates were made from 35 homes across three cities. In 87% of the cases, AER(2z) was higher than AER(1z). Overall, the AER(1z) estimates underestimated AER(2z) by approximately 16% (IQR: 5-32%). This underestimate occurred in all cities and seasons and varied in magnitude seasonally, between homes, and daily, indicating that when measuring residential air exchange using a single PFT gas, the assumption of a single well-mixed air zone very likely results in an under prediction of the AER. The results of this study suggest that the long-standing assumption that a home represents a single well-mixed air zone may result in a substantial negative bias in air exchange estimates. Indoor air quality professionals should take this finding into consideration when developing study designs or making decisions related to the recommendation and installation of residential ventilation systems. © 2014 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Indoor Air published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Health Canada.

Natural gas cogeneration in the residential sector; La cogeneration au gaz naturel en residentiel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lancelot, C.; Gaudin, S. [Gaz de France, GDF, Dir. de la Recherche, 75 - Paris (France)

2000-07-01

The natural gas cogeneration offer is now available and operational in the industrial sector. It is based on technologies of piston engines and gas turbines. Currently, this offer is sufficiently diversified, so much from the point of view of the range of powers available (from 1 MW to more than 40 MW electric) that number of manufacturers. In order to widen the cogeneration market in France to the markets of the commercial and residential sectors, Gaz De France has undertaken a technical economic study to validate the potential of those markets. This study led to work on the assembly of a french die to cogeneration packages of low power (less than 1 MW electric). This step has emerged at the beginning of 1999 with the launching of a commercial offer of cogeneration packages. In margin to this work Gaz De France Research division also initiated a study in order to evaluate the offer of micro cogeneration, products delivering an electric output lower than 10 kW. (authors)

The natural gas as integration element in Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales, Maria Elizabeth; Dutra, Luis Eduardo; Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli

1999-01-01

The article discusses the following global aspects of natural gas development: natural gas and worldwide energetic integration; natural gas consumption rates in the world; natural gas industry development in Latin America; and natural gas industry in Brazil. The article concludes that the natural gas can integrate Latin-american economies since the Governments adopt coherent energetic politicians articulated to each other

DC Linked Hybrid Generation System with an Energy Storage Device including a Photo-Voltaic Generation and a Gas Engine Cogeneration for Residential Houses

Science.gov (United States)

Lung, Chienru; Miyake, Shota; Kakigano, Hiroaki; Miura, Yushi; Ise, Toshifumi; Momose, Toshinari; Hayakawa, Hideki

For the past few years, a hybrid generation system including solar panel and gas cogeneration is being used for residential houses. Solar panels can generate electronic power at daytime; meanwhile, it cannot generate electronic power at night time. But the power consumption of residential houses usually peaks in the evening. The gas engine cogeneration system can generate electronic power without such a restriction, and it also can generate heat power to warm up house or to produce hot water. In this paper, we propose the solar panel and gas engine co-generation hybrid system with an energy storage device that is combined by dc bus. If a black out occurs, the system still can supply electronic power for special house loads. We propose the control scheme for the system which are related with the charging level of the energy storage device, the voltage of the utility grid which can be applied both grid connected and stand alone operation. Finally, we carried out some experiments to demonstrate the system operation and calculation for loss estimation.

Prediction of greenhouse gas reduction potential in Japanese residential sector by residential energy end-use model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoda, Yoshiyuki; Yamaguchi, Yukio; Okamura, Tomo; Taniguchi, Ayako; Yamaguchi, Yohei

2010-01-01

A model is developed that simulates nationwide energy consumption of the residential sector by considering the diversity of household and building types. Since this model can simulate the energy consumption for each household and building category by dynamic energy use based on the schedule of the occupants' activities and a heating and cooling load calculation model, various kinds of energy-saving policies can be evaluated with considerable accuracy. In addition, the average energy efficiency of major electric appliances used in the residential sector and the percentages of housing insulation levels of existing houses is predicted by the 'stock transition model.' In this paper, energy consumption and CO 2 emissions in the Japanese residential sector until 2025 are predicted. For example, as a business - as-usual (BAU) case, CO 2 emissions will be reduced by 7% from the 1990 level. Also evaluated are mitigation measures such as the energy efficiency standard for home electric appliances, thermal insulation code, reduction of standby power, high-efficiency water heaters, energy-efficient behavior of occupants, and dissemination of photovoltaic panels.

Advisory report on licence requirements for the marketing of natural gas and electricity to residential and small commercial consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The proposed Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 which forms part of Bill 35, would make it possible for the Board to make regulations prescribing license requirements and conditions for sellers of natural gas and electricity to residential and small commercial users. Interested stakeholders were invited to provide their input on the proposed Act. A total of 23 parties responded by submitting their comments to the Ontario Energy Board. This document presents the concerns of several parties regarding various provisions of the proposed regulatory regime affecting energy marketing. Comments on the definition of 'low volume customer', on classes of gas marketers, need and requirements for gas marketer's licence, the form and posting of security bonds by prospective gas marketers, exemptions from licensing, conditions of licensing, code of conduct for energy marketers, disclosure of customer information, were some of the proposed provisions that elicited comments

Integrated Microfluidic Gas Sensors for Water Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, L.; Sniadecki, N.; DeVoe, D. L.; Beamesderfer, M.; Semancik, S.; DeVoe, D. L.

2003-01-01

A silicon-based microhotplate tin oxide (SnO2) gas sensor integrated into a polymer-based microfluidic system for monitoring of contaminants in water systems is presented. This device is designed to sample a water source, control the sample vapor pressure within a microchannel using integrated resistive heaters, and direct the vapor past the integrated gas sensor for analysis. The sensor platform takes advantage of novel technology allowing direct integration of discrete silicon chips into a larger polymer microfluidic substrate, including seamless fluidic and electrical interconnects between the substrate and silicon chip.

Integrated Urban System and Energy Consumption Model: Residential Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocco Papa

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a segment of research conducted within the project PON 04a2_E Smart Energy Master for the energetic government of the territory conducted by the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environment Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II".  In particular, this article is part of the study carried out for the definition of the comprehension/interpretation model that correlates buildings, city’s activities and users’ behaviour in order to promote energy savings. In detail, this segment of the research wants to define the residential variables to be used in the model. For this purpose a knowledge framework at international level has been defined, to estimate the energy requirements of residential buildings and the identification of a set of parameters, whose variation has a significant influence on the energy consumption of residential buildings.

Public participation in energy saving retrofitting of residential buildings in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu Wenling, Wenling; Zhang, J.; Bluemling, B.; Mol, A.P.J.; Wang, C.

2015-01-01

Retrofitting existing residential buildings has been claimed as one crucial way to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions within the Chinese residential sector. In China’s government-dominated retrofitting projects, the participation of residents is often neglected. The objective of

Biomass gasification systems for residential application: An integrated simulation approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prando, Dario; Patuzzi, Francesco; Pernigotto, Giovanni; Gasparella, Andrea; Baratieri, Marco

2014-01-01

The energy policy of the European member States is promoting high-efficiency cogeneration systems by means of the European directive 2012/27/EU. Particular facilitations have been implemented for the small-scale and micro-cogeneration units. Furthermore, the directive 2010/31/EU promotes the improvement of energy performance of buildings and use of energy from renewable sources for the building sector. In this scenario, systems based on gasification are considered a promising technological solution when dealing with biomass and small scale systems. In this paper, an integrated approach has been implemented to assess the energy performance of combined heat and power (CHP) systems based on biomass gasification and installed in residential blocks. The space-heating loads of the considered building configurations have been simulated by means of EnergyPlus. The heat load for domestic hot water demand has been calculated according to the average daily profiles suggested by the Italian and European technical standards. The efficiency of the whole CHP system has been evaluated supplementing the simulation of the gasification stage with the energy balance of the cogeneration set (i.e., internal combustion engine) and implementing the developed routines in the Matlab-Simulink environment. The developed model has been used to evaluate the primary energy saving (PES) of the CHP system compared to a reference case of separate production of heat and power. Economic analyses are performed either with or without subsidizations for the generated electricity. The results highlight the capability of the integrated approach to estimate both energy and economic performances of CHP systems applied to the residential context. Furthermore, the importance of the generated heat valorisation and the proper system sizing have been discussed. - Highlights: • CHP system based on biomass gasification to meet household energy demand is studied. • Influence of CHP size and operation time on

Black carbon in the Arctic: the underestimated role of gas flaring and residential combustion emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Stohl

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Arctic haze is a seasonal phenomenon with high concentrations of accumulation-mode aerosols occurring in the Arctic in winter and early spring. Chemistry transport models and climate chemistry models struggle to reproduce this phenomenon, and this has recently prompted changes in aerosol removal schemes to remedy the modeling problems. In this paper, we show that shortcomings in current emission data sets are at least as important. We perform a 3 yr model simulation of black carbon (BC with the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. The model is driven with a new emission data set ("ECLIPSE emissions" which includes emissions from gas flaring. While gas flaring is estimated to contribute less than 3% of global BC emissions in this data set, flaring dominates the estimated BC emissions in the Arctic (north of 66° N. Putting these emissions into our model, we find that flaring contributes 42% to the annual mean BC surface concentrations in the Arctic. In March, flaring even accounts for 52% of all Arctic BC near the surface. Most of the flaring BC remains close to the surface in the Arctic, so that the flaring contribution to BC in the middle and upper troposphere is small. Another important factor determining simulated BC concentrations is the seasonal variation of BC emissions from residential combustion (often also called domestic combustion, which is used synonymously in this paper. We have calculated daily residential combustion emissions using the heating degree day (HDD concept based on ambient air temperature and compare results from model simulations using emissions with daily, monthly and annual time resolution. In January, the Arctic-mean surface concentrations of BC due to residential combustion emissions are 150% higher when using daily emissions than when using annually constant emissions. While there are concentration reductions in summer, they are smaller than the winter increases, leading to a systematic increase of

Invited commentary: integrating a life-course perspective and social theory to advance research on residential segregation and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Osypuk, Theresa L

2013-02-15

Research on racial residential segregation and health typically uses multilevel, population-based, slice-in-time data. Although research using this approach, including that by Kershaw et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(4):299-309), has been valuable, I argue that to advance our understanding of how residential segregation influences health and health disparities, it is critical to incorporate a life-course perspective and integrate social theory. Applying a life-course perspective would entail modeling transitions, cumulative risk, and developmental and dynamic processes and mechanisms, as well as recognizing the contingency of contextual effects on different social groups. I discuss the need for analytic methods appropriate for modeling health effects of distal causes experienced across the life course, such as segregation, that operate through multiple levels and sequences of mediators, potentially across decades. Sociological theories of neighborhood attainment (e.g., segmented assimilation, ethnic resurgence, and place stratification theories) can guide effect-modification tests to help illuminate health effects resulting from intersections of residential processes, race/ethnicity, immigration, and other social determinants of health. For example, nativity and immigration history may crucially shape residential processes and exposures, but these have received limited attention in prior segregation-health literature.

Advisory report on licence requirements for the marketing of natural gas and electricity to residential and small commercial consumers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-10-06

The proposed Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 which forms part of Bill 35, would make it possible for the Board to make regulations prescribing license requirements and conditions for sellers of natural gas and electricity to residential and small commercial users. Interested stakeholders were invited to provide their input on the proposed Act. A total of 23 parties responded by submitting their comments to the Ontario Energy Board. This document presents the concerns of several parties regarding various provisions of the proposed regulatory regime affecting energy marketing. Comments on the definition of `low volume customer`, on classes of gas marketers, need and requirements for gas marketer`s licence, the form and posting of security bonds by prospective gas marketers, exemptions from licensing, conditions of licensing, code of conduct for energy marketers, disclosure of customer information, were some of the proposed provisions that elicited comments.

Comparative analysis of greenhouse gas emissions of various residential heating systems in the Canadian provinces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pare, D.

2010-04-01

The Kyoto Protocol compels signatory countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 percent by 2010 as compared to 1990 levels. In Canada, however, questions remain regarding the effects of greenhouse gases as they relate to the adoption of geoexchange systems in certain provinces because of the sources of electricity. This report presented a comprehensive analysis of the specific and strategic role of geoexchange technology, and ground source heat pumps in particular. The purpose was to compare, on a common basis, the greenhouse gas emissions of different residential heating systems utilized in the Canadian provinces. Comparisons were conducted from an environmental standpoint, and excluded the exergy and economic aspect, or other related issues. The report discussed the methodology and hypotheses of the study and presented the results for Canada, and for each province. It was concluded that according to the hypotheses employed for the purposes of this study, geoexchange systems offer a solution for greenhouse gas reduction and climatic change in all of the analyzed scenarios, with few exceptions and for a specific scenario. 32 refs., 37 tabs., 12 figs., 4 appendices.

Development and evaluation of a new depressurization spillage test for residential gas-fired combustion appliances : final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, P.

2005-07-01

This paper presented a newly developed combustion depressurization spillage test for residential combustion appliances. The test uses carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) that is produced in the fuel combustion process as a tracer gas. The test accurately measures the amount of combustion spillage from residential combustion appliances and their venting systems when they operate at certain levels of depressurization. Seven commonly used gas-fired appliances were used to evaluate the new test as well as the appliances. These included 2 power-vented storage-tank water heaters, 1 mid-efficiency furnace, 2 high-efficiency condensing furnaces, and 2 direct-vent gas fireplaces. Tests were performed for each unit with the test room initially depressurized by 50 Pa compared with the pressure outside the room. If the combustion spillage exceeded 2 per cent, the test was repeated with the room depressurized by 20 Pa, and then by 5 Pa. Each appliance was operated for 5 minutes of burner operation during which time the burner fuel consumption, the concentration of CO 2 and the exhaust fan flow rate were monitored. Measurements were taken for 2 minutes following burner shut off. The amount of CO 2 that was released into the test room from the appliance and its venting system was determined from the measurements and then compared with the amount of CO 2 that would be produced by combustion of the fuel that was consumed during the test. The ratio of the 2 provided a direct measure of the combustion spillage of the appliance and its venting system. The study revealed that 3 products had undetectable levels of combustion spillage, 3 products had low, but measurable combustion spillage, and 1 product had significant combustion spillage. refs., tabs., figs

Residential cogeneration systems: review of the current technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onovwiona, H.I.; Ugursal, V.I.

2006-01-01

There is a growing potential for the use of micro-cogeneration systems in the residential sector because they have the ability to produce both useful thermal energy and electricity from a single source of fuel such as oil or natural gas. In cogeneration systems, the efficiency of energy conversion increases to over 80% as compared to an average of 30-35% for conventional fossil fuel fired electricity generation systems. This increase in energy efficiency can result in lower costs and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to the conventional methods of generating heat and electricity separately. Cogeneration systems and equipment suitable for residential and small-scale commercial applications like hospitals, hotels or institutional buildings are available, and many new systems are under development. These products are used or aimed for meeting the electrical and thermal demands of a building for space and domestic hot water heating, and potentially, absorption cooling. The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date review of the various cogeneration technologies suitable for residential applications. The paper considers the various technologies available and under development for residential, i.e. single-family ( e ) and multi-family (10-30kW t ) applications, with focus on single-family applications. Technologies suitable for residential cogeneration systems include reciprocating internal combustion engine, micro-turbine, fuel cell, and reciprocating external combustion Stirling engine based cogeneration systems. The paper discusses the state of development and the performance, environmental benefits, and costs of these technologies. (author)

The greenhouse gas and energy impacts of using wood instead of alternatives in residential construction in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upton, Brad; Miner, Reid; Spinney, Mike; Heath, Linda S.

2008-01-01

Data developed by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials were used to estimate savings of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption associated with use of wood-based building materials in residential construction in the United States. Results indicate that houses with wood-based wall systems require 15-16% less total energy for non-heating/cooling purposes than thermally comparable houses employing alternative steel- or concrete-based building systems. Results for non-renewable energy consumption are essentially the same as those for total energy, reflecting the fact that most of the displaced energy is in fossil fuels. Over a 100-year period, net greenhouse gas emissions associated with wood-based houses are 20-50% lower than emissions associated with thermally comparable houses employing steel- or concrete-based building systems. Assuming 1.5 million single-family housing starts per year, the difference between wood and non-wood building systems represents about 9.6 Mt of CO 2 equivalents per year. The corresponding energy benefit associated with wood-based building materials is approximately 132 PJ year -1 . These estimates represent about 22% of embodied energy and 27% of embodied greenhouse gas emissions in the residential sector of the US economy. The results of the analysis are very sensitive to assumptions and uncertainties regarding the fate of forestland that is taken out of wood production due to reduced demand for wood, the continued production of co-products where demand for wood products is reduced, and the rate at which carbon accumulates in forests

High-Resolution Gas Metering and Nonintrusive Appliance Load Monitoring System

Science.gov (United States)

Tewolde, Mahder

This thesis deals with design and implementation of a high-resolution metering system for residential natural gas meters. Detailed experimental measurements are performed on the meter to characterize and understand its measurement properties. Results from these experiments are used to develop a simple, fast and accurate technique to non-intrusively monitor the gas consumption of individual appliances in homes by resolving small amounts of gas usage. The technique is applied on an existing meter retrofitted with a module that includes a high-resolution encoder to collect gas flow data and a microprocessor to analyze and identify appliance load profiles. This approach provides a number of appealing features including low cost, easy installation and integration with automated meter reading (AMR) systems. The application of this method to residential gas meters currently deployed is also given. This is done by performing a load simulation on realistic gas loads with the aim of identifying the necessary parameters that minimize the cost and complexity of the mechanical encoder module. The primary benefits of the system are efficiency analysis, appliance health monitoring and real-time customer feedback of gas usage. Additional benefits of include the ability to detect very small leaks and theft. This system has the potential for wide scale market adoption.

New Hampshire Carbon Challenge: Reducing Residential Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Schloss, A. L.; Bartlett, D.; Blaha, D.; Skoglund, C.; Dundorf, J.; Froburg, E.; Pasinella, B.

2007-12-01

The New Hampshire Carbon Challenge is an initiative of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire. Our goal is to educate New Hampshire residents about climate change and also encourage them to reduce their household greenhouse gas emissions by 10,000 pounds. The Northeast region is undergoing climate changes consistent with those expected due to increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, while also contributing to climate change as the world's seventh largest source of CO2 emissions. In the USA, approximately 40 percent of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion come from residential energy consumption for space heating, electricity usage, and transportation. Homeowners typically are not aware that modest energy reductions can result in significant carbon savings. Most campaigns that raise awareness of climate change and residential energy usage disseminate information to consumers through newspaper articles, brochures, websites, or other traditional means of communication. These information-only campaigns have not been very effective in changing residential energy consumption. Bombarded with information in their daily lives, the public has become quite adept at tuning most of it out. When much of the information they receive about climate change is confusing and contradictory, residents have even less incentive to change their behavior. The Challenge is unique in that it couples accurate information about climate change with concrete actions homeowners can take to reduce their carbon emissions. Our strategy is to utilize the tools of Community Based Social Marketing, which has been shown to be effective in changing behavior, and also to leverage existing networks including the NH Department of Environmental Services, UNH Cooperative Extension, faith-based communities, municipal energy committees and Climate Project volunteers, to effectively reach residents throughout the state. The response to our program has

The importance of engaging residential energy customers' hearts and minds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olaniyan, Monisola J.; Evans, Joanne

2014-01-01

In an attempt to reduce the contribution of residential greenhouse gas emissions the EU has implemented a variety of policy measures. The focus has been to promote domestic energy efficiency and ultimately a reduction in residential energy demand. In this study we estimate residential energy demand using Underlying Energy Demand Trend (UEDT) and Asymmetric Price Responses for 14 European OECD countries between 1978 and 2008. Our results support the conclusion that policies to reduce residential energy consumption and the consequent emissions need to account for behavioural, lifestyle and cultural factors in order to be effective. - Highlights: • Residential energy demand is estimated for 14 European OECD countries between 1978 and 2008. • Investigate the relative contributions of Underlying Energy Demand Trend (UEDT) which captures exogenous technical progress. • The most effective policies target behavioural, lifestyle and cultural factors to reduce residential energy consumption

Micro-CHP systems for residential applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paepe, Michel de; D'Herdt, Peter; Mertens, David

2006-01-01

Micro-CHP systems are now emerging on the market. In this paper, a thorough analysis is made of the operational parameters of 3 types of micro-CHP systems for residential use. Two types of houses (detached and terraced) are compared with a two storey apartment. For each building type, the energy demands for electricity and heat are dynamically determined. Using these load profiles, several CHP systems are designed for each building type. Data were obtained for two commercially available gas engines, two Stirling engines and a fuel cell. Using a dynamic simulation, including start up times, these five system types are compared to the separate energy system of a natural gas boiler and buying electricity from the grid. All CHP systems, if well sized, result in a reduction of primary energy use, though different technologies have very different impacts. Gas engines seem to have the best performance. The economic analysis shows that fuel cells are still too expensive and that even the gas engines only have a small internal rate of return (<5%), and this only occurs in favourable economic circumstances. It can, therefore, be concluded that although the different technologies are technically mature, installation costs should at least be reduced by 50% before CHP systems become interesting for residential use. Condensing gas boilers, now very popular in new homes, prove to be economically more interesting and also have a modest effect on primary energy consumption

RedeGasEnergia - gas and energy excellence network: a strategy for development the Brazilian natural gas market; RedeGasEnergia - rede de excelencia de gas e energia: uma estrategia para o desenvolvimento do mercado do gas natural no Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Antonio L.F. dos [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Gerencia de Tecnologia do Gas Natural; Freire, Luiz G.M. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao de Tecnologia da RedeGasEnergia

2004-07-01

The present work aims at to present a new methodology of Excellency Net of Natural Gas - RedeGasEnergia for the development do natural gas market no Brazil, through in the application do model management for technologies associates different segments da economy: residential, commercial, industrial, Vehicle and of cogeneration, in accord with the Strategical Planning of the PETROBRAS. The developed methodology is based on the interaction enters the technological lines of direction of the segments of the economy and marketing lines of direction, inside of a corporative environment enters the some agents of the productive chain of the Natural Gas, which is: University, the delivering and transporting Institutions of Research and Technologies (technological arm) and companies of NG, municipal, state and federal equipment manufacturers (enterprise arm) and agencies, trade associations (governmental arm) to which of integrated and articulated form carry through a sustainable development of the Natural Gas market in Brazil. A study of case of the methodology will be shown, from the analysis of the current scenes of the use of the natural gas in light vehicles and weighed, locomotives and boats, as well as the available infrastructure for the Vehicle applications. (author)

European market integration for gas? Volume flexibility and political risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asche, Frank; Tveteras, Ragnar; Osmundsen, Petter

2002-01-01

Long-term take-or-pay contracts regulating gas exports to the Continent are described and analyzed. We thereafter examine whether the German gas market is integrated. Time series of Norwegian, Dutch and Russian gas export prices to Germany in 1990-1998 are examined. Cointegration tests show that that the different border prices for gas to Germany move proportionally over time, indicating an integrated gas market. We find differences in mean prices, with Russian gas being sold at prices systematically lower than Dutch and Norwegian gas. Among the explanatory factors for price discrepancies are differences in volume flexibility (swing) and perceived political risk

Heat supply systems using natural gas in the residential sector: The case of the agglomeration of Seoul

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hi-Chun; Kim, Hoseok

2008-01-01

Combined heat and power (CHP) and district heating (DH) promotion policies are based on the assumption of high energy efficiencies. In the last two decades, however, there has been a big increase in energy efficiencies of combined-cycle gas power plants (CCs) including CHPs and gas-condensing boilers. This study tries to verify the validity of the assumption of high energy efficiency of DH. The experience in the agglomeration of Seoul shows that DH in combination with large modern CHPs is not more energy efficient but substantially more expensive compared to individual gas heating by efficient condensing boilers in combination with CCs. We argue that the Korean government should review its CHP/DH support programs and abandon the so-called heat supply monopoly for DH operators in newly developed residential areas. Such a policy intervention only distorts the space heating market and wastes valuable financial resources. Furthermore, the public should be properly informed on energy efficiency as well as energy- and system-related costs of various heat supply systems. In the light of the present improvements in the performance of gas-condensing boilers and CCs, the validity of the assumption of high energy efficiency of CHP/DH in other countries has to be reviewed

Economics of residential gas furnaces and water heaters in United States new construction market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lekov, Alex B.; Franco, Victor H.; Wong-Parodi, Gabrielle; McMahon, James E.; Chan, Peter

2009-05-06

New single-family home construction represents a significant and important market for the introduction of energy-efficient gas-fired space heating and water-heating equipment. In the new construction market, the choice of furnace and water-heater type is primarily driven by first cost considerations and the availability of power vent and condensing water heaters. Few analysis have been performed to assess the economic impacts of the different combinations of space and water-heating equipment. Thus, equipment is often installed without taking into consideration the potential economic and energy savings of installing space and water-heating equipment combinations. In this study, we use a life-cycle cost analysis that accounts for uncertainty and variability of the analysis inputs to assess the economic benefits of gas furnace and water-heater design combinations. This study accounts not only for the equipment cost but also for the cost of installing, maintaining, repairing, and operating the equipment over its lifetime. Overall, this study, which is focused on US single-family new construction households that install gas furnaces and storage water heaters, finds that installing a condensing or power-vent water heater together with condensing furnace is the most cost-effective option for the majority of these houses. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the new construction residential market could be a target market for the large-scale introduction of a combination of condensing or power-vent water heaters with condensing furnaces.

Are Korean Households Willing to Pay a Premium for Induction Cooktops over Gas Stoves?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyo-Jin Kim

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Korean households generally prefer to use induction cooktops rather than gas stoves because of their greater convenience and safety features. This paper tries to investigate whether Korean households are willing to pay a premium for replacing their gas stoves, which are currently common in Korea, with induction cooktops, from the perspective of convenience and safety. To this end, a contingent valuation technique was applied to assess the additional willingness to pay (WTP a premium for using an induction cooktop rather than a gas stove. A nationwide survey of 1000 households was carried out. The results indicate that the mean additional WTP for using an induction cooktop rather than a gas stove is KRW 207 (USD 0.19 per cubic meter of residential gas. This value can be interpreted as the convenience and safety benefits to the consumer of using an induction cooktop rather than a gas stove, or residential electricity rather than residential gas for cooking. It amounts to approximately 26.7% of the average 2015 price of residential gas, which was KRW 775 (USD 0.70 per cubic meter. If the gap between the price for residential electricity and the price for residential gas is less than the WTP value, households will increase their demand for residential electricity for cooking.

Competitive solar heating systems for residential buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Furbo, Simon; Thür, Alexander; Fiedler, Frank

2005-01-01

The paper describes the ongoing research project “Competitive solar heating systems for residential buildings”. The aim of the project is to develop competitive solar combisystems which are attractive to buyers. The solar combisystems must be attractive compared to traditional energy systems, both....... In Denmark and Norway the focus is on solar heating/natural gas systems, and in Sweden and Latvia the focus is on solar heating/pellet systems. Additionally, Lund Institute of Technology and University of Oslo are studying solar collectors of various types being integrated into the roof and facade......, are the universities: Technical University of Denmark, Dalarna University, University of Oslo, Riga Technical University and Lund Institute of Technology, as well as the companies: Metro Therm A/S (Denmark), Velux A/S (Denmark), Solentek AB (Sweden) and SolarNor (Norway). The project consists of a number of Ph...

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technologies in Residential Building Codes: June 15, 1998 to September 15, 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wortman, D.; Echo-Hawk, L.

2005-02-01

This report is an attempt to describe the building code requirements and impediments to the application of EE and RE technologies in residential buildings. Several modern model building codes were reviewed. These are representative of the codes that will be adopted by most locations in the coming years. The codes reviewed for this report include: International Residential Code, First Draft, April 1998; International Energy Conservation Code, 1998; International Mechanical Code, 1998; International Plumbing Code, 1997; International Fuel Gas Code, 1997; National Electrical Code, 1996. These codes were reviewed as to their application to (1) PV systems in buildings and building-integrated PV systems and (2) active solar domestic hot water and space-heating systems. A discussion of general code issues that impact these technologies is also included. Examples of this are solar access and sustainability.

Risks from Radon: Reconciling Miner and Residential Epidemiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, Douglas B.; Harley, Naomi H.

2008-01-01

Everyone is exposed to radon, an inert radioactive gas that occurs naturally and is present everywhere in the atmosphere. The annual dose from radon and its (short-lived) decay products is typically about one-half of the dose received by members of the public from all natural sources of ionizing radiation. Data on exposures and consequent effects have recently been reviewed by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). Studies of underground miners provides a well-established basis for estimating risks from occupational exposures to radon and for studying factors that may affect the dose response relationship such as the reduction of risk (coefficients) with increasing time since exposure. Miners' studies previously formed the basis for estimating risks to people exposed to radon at home, with downward extrapolation from exposures in mines to residential levels of radon. Presently, the risk estimates from residential studies are adequate to estimate radon risks in homes. Although there are major uncertainties in extrapolating the risks of exposure to radon from the miner studies to assessing risks in the home, there is remarkably good agreement between the average of risk factors derived from miner studies and those from pooled residential case-control studies. There are now over 20 analytical studies of residential radon and lung cancer. These studies typically assess the relative risk from exposure to radon based on estimates of residential exposure over a period of 25 to 30 years prior to diagnosis of lung cancer. Recent pooled analyses of residential case-control studies support a small but detectable lung cancer risk from residential exposure, and this risk increases with increasing concentrations. The excess relative risk of lung cancer from long-term residential exposure is about the same for both smokers and non-smokers; however, because the

Analyzing Residential End-Use Energy Consumption Data to Inform Residential Consumer Decisions and Enable Energy Efficiency Improvements

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Derrick R.

While renewable energy is in the process of maturing, energy efficiency improvements may provide an opportunity to reduce energy consumption and consequent greenhouse gas emissions to bridge the gap between current emissions and the reductions necessary to prevent serious effects of climate change and will continue to be an integral part of greenhouse gas emissions policy moving forward. Residential energy is a largely untapped source of energy reductions as consumers, who wish to reduce energy consumption for monetary, environmental, and other reasons, face barriers. One such barrier is a lack of knowledge or understanding of how energy is consumed in a home and how to reduce this consumption effectively through behavioral and technological changes. One way to improve understanding of residential energy consumption is through the creation of a model to predict which appliances and electronics will be present and significantly contribute to the electricity consumption of a home on the basis of various characteristics of that home. The basis of this model is publically available survey data from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). By predicting how households are likely to consume energy, homeowners, policy makers, and other stakeholders have access to valuable data that enables reductions in energy consumption in the residential sector. This model can be used to select homes that may be ripe for energy reductions and to predict the appliances that are the basis of these potential reductions. This work suggests that most homes in the U.S. have about eight appliances that are responsible for about 80% of the electricity consumption in that home. Characteristics such as census region, floor space, income, and total electricity consumption affect which appliances are likely to be in a home, however the number of appliances is generally around 8. Generally it takes around 4 appliances to reach the 50% threshold and 12 appliances to reach 90% of electricity

French natural gas industry. Key-data 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2001-01-01

The year 2000 is the year of deregulation of the European gas market. This short article reports on some significant economical data taken from a brochure edited by the French gas association: transport of natural gas (main suppliers), network (pipelines, distribution system), consumption (industry, residential and tertiary sectors), uses (vehicles, cogeneration units), liquefied petroleum gases (consumption in residential-tertiary, industry, agriculture and automotive applications). (J.S.)

Alternatives for the Santos Basin natural gas insertion in the energetic matrix; Alternativas para a insercao do gas da Bacia de Santos na matriz energetica. Estudo de caso: cidade de Santos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awazu, Ricardo de Mello [Grupo MKR, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Gerencia de Novos Negocios], e-mail: ricardo@mkr.com.br; Santos, Edmilson Moutinho dos [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Programa Interunidades de Pos-Graduacao em Energia (PIPGE)], e-mail: edsantos@iee.usp.br

2008-07-01

The natural gas difficult to penetrate in the residential market and compete with electrical energy is the main objective of this study, which will support that in big cities, where natural gas is already reality or will be the use of natural gas should not be considered competition for other types of energy resources but as a strategically complement of the overall power system. Electricity used as thermal source creates only demand for concessionaires and not consumption, in other words, there is short period of time when demand peaks and the amount of energy consumed by the electric shower is so high that requires a huge infra-structure of generation, transmission and distribution. However, it creates a big idle capacity in periods off-peak. The replacement of electricity to natural gas in water heating is critical factor to make the pipeline network economically feasible and to consolidate the residential market. The use of natural gas only to cooking purposes makes the network very costly and with high idle capacity. This study will discuss how an integrated planning of resources can lead to a better use of energy resources and distribution network of natural gas and electricity. (author)

Development of a methodology and software for analysis of energy and economic feasibility of introducing natural gas facilities in residential an commercial sector; Desenvolvimento de metodologia e de software para analise de viabilidade energetica e economica da introducao de instalacoes para gas natural no setor residencial e comercial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jesus, Marcos Fabio de; Torres, Ednildo Andrade [Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil). Escola Politecnica. Lab. de Energia e Gas; Santos, Carlos Antonio Cabral dos [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil). Lab. de Energia Solar; Campos, Michel Fabianski [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). RedeGasEnergia

2004-07-01

With the increasing participation of the natural gas in the world-wide and national energy matrix, beyond the constant search for an alternative source of energy that has an acceptable behavior of the ambient point of view, they become each time more necessary studies to make possible the expansion of the use of this fuel in the diverse energy sectors, such as: Industrial, advertising, residential, to propagate, among others; Of these sectors, the residential one is what more it needs innovations and/or technological adaptations to exert a massive participation in the demand of the natural gas. This work has as objective to establish a methodology adjusted for analysis of the energy and economic viability of the introduction of installations for natural gas in the residential and commercial sector, as well as the implementation of a software that will more facilitate to the taking of decisions of this the confection of the plant low of the enterprise until the choice of the adjusted material for the installation of the tubing, besides showing to the viability technique - economic of the use of the natural gas for supplying all even though the energy necessities of this construction or of its joint participation with the electric energy or with the GLP. The methodology will mainly have support in first and the second law of the thermodynamics, beyond the norms Brazilian techniques that conduct this sector of the civil construction, taking in consideration the fixed and changeable costs of the energy construction of the construction and the involved ones. One expects, on the basis of the literature, that the introduction of installations for natural gas in the residential and commercial sector presents viability economic technique and, increasing with this the demand of this fuel and consequently its participation in the national energy matrix. (author)

Performance analysis of solar energy integrated with natural-gas-to-methanol process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Sheng; Liu, Zhiqiang; Tang, Zhiyong; Wang, Yifan; Chen, Qianqian; Sun, Yuhan

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Solar energy integrated with natural-gas-to-methanol process is proposed. • The two processes are modeled and simulated. • Performance analysis of the two processes are conducted. • The proposed process can cut down the greenhouse gas emission. • The proposed process can save natural gas consumption. - Abstract: Methanol is an important platform chemical. Methanol production using natural gas as raw material has short processing route and well developed equipment and technology. However, natural gas reserves are not large in China. Solar energy power generation system integrated with natural-gas-to-methanol (NGTM) process is developed, which may provide a technical routine for methanol production in the future. The solar energy power generation produces electricity for reforming unit and system consumption in solar energy integrated natural-gas-to-methanol system (SGTM). Performance analysis of conventional natural-gas-to-methanol process and solar energy integrated with natural-gas-to-methanol process are presented based on simulation results. Performance analysis was conducted considering carbon efficiency, production cost, solar energy price, natural gas price, and carbon tax. Results indicate that solar energy integrated with natural-gas-to-methanol process is able to cut down the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. In addition, solar energy can replace natural gas as fuel. This can reduce the consumption of natural gas, which equals to 9.2% of the total consumed natural gas. However, it is not economical considering the current technology readiness level, compared with conventional natural-gas-to-methanol process.

Integrating mental health care into residential homes for the elderly: an analysis of six Dutch programs for older people with severe and persistent mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Depla, Marja F. I. A.; Pols, Jeannette; de Lange, Jacomine; Smits, Carolien H. M.; de Graaf, Ron; Heeren, Thea J.

2003-01-01

Integrating mental health care into residential homes for the elderly is a potentially effective model to address the complex care needs of older chronically mentally ill people. Because no research was available on the implementation of such integrated care in practice, six programs already

Natural gas integration in latin america: forward or backwards?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moutinho Dos Santos, E.; Oxilia Davalos, V.E.; Tadeu Werneck Faga, M.

2006-01-01

Throughout the 1990's to Year 2000, energy integration, and particularly natural gas integration, was seen as a major goal in the Southern Cone of South America, The regional perspective for energy was related to an even more challenging objective - Latin American economic integration, which was quickly moving forward by the constitution of MERCOSUR, the free trade zone built by Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, and also having Bolivia and Chile as special partners. MERCOSUR was getting stronger and becoming a successful political project. Trade conflicts existed, but they were considered normal and nobody would disagree about the viability of MERCOSUR. By the beginning of the 21. Century, the economic integration process in South America was already advancing timidly as compared to the impetus from the beginning of 1990's. MERCOSUR started facing complex and almost insurmountable challenges after the numerous global financial crises (from 1998 to 2003) which had affected the economic balances in the region. Energy and gas integration in South America has equally lost perspective as fast as the importance of economic integration has declined. The economic crises in the region and poor energy policies have discouraged energy companies to invest. The paper presents this recent history of rising and falling in the concept of economic and energy integration in the Southern Cone of South America. Despite the abundance of energy resources, and particularly the plethora of recently discovered natural gas, the region has been experiencing systematic and important energy shortages, which may threaten its economic recovery. A stronger energy integration policy would help all the partner countries to reduce energy supply risks. Yet, energy (and gas) integration in the Southern Cone is still a complex long-term political project, which must involve all countries, but whose future perspective is unclear. It seems almost impossible to keep pushing forward this project

Field tests and commercialization of natural gas leak detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, D S; Jeon, J S; Kim, K D; Cho, Y A [R and D Center, Korea Gas Corporation, Ansan (Korea)

1999-09-01

Objectives - (1) fields test of industrial gas leak detection monitoring system. (2) commericialization of residential gas leak detector. Contents - (1) five sets of gas leak detection monitoring system were installed at natural gas transmition facilities and tested long term stability and their performance. (2) improved residential gas leak detector was commercialised. Expected benefits and application fields - (1) contribution to the improvement of domestic gas sensor technology. (2) localization of fabrication technology for gas leak detectors. 23 refs., 126 figs., 37 tabs.

Integrated Strip Foundation Systems for Small Residential Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Torben Valdbjørn

2010-01-01

A prefabricated lightweight element was designed for a strip foundation that was used on site as the bases of two small residential buildings, in this case single-family houses; one was built with a double-brick exterior wall separated by mineral fiber insulation and the other was built with a wood...

Electricity and gas market observatory. 2. Quarter 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). The present observatory is dedicated only to eligible customers before 1 July 2007, i.e. non-residential customers. Statistics related to residential customers will be published in the next observatory (1 December 2007). Content: A - The electricity market: The retail electricity market (Introduction, Non-residential customer segments and their respective weights, Status at July 1, 2007, Dynamic analysis: 2. Quarter 2007); The wholesale electricity market (Introduction, Wholesale market activity in France, Wholesale market activity in France, Prices on the French wholesale market and European comparison, Import and export volumes, Concentration of the French electricity market, Striking fact of the second quarter 2007); B - The gas market: The retail gas market (Introduction, The non-residential customer segments and their respective weights, Status at July 1, 2007); The wholesale gas market (Gas pricing and gas markets in Europe, The wholesale market in France); C - Appendices: Electricity and gas market observatories combined glossary, Specific electricity market observatory glossary, Specific gas market observatory glossary

Residential distance to major roadways and semen quality, sperm DNA integrity, chromosomal disomy, and serum reproductive hormones among men attending a fertility clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Nassan, Feiby L; Chavarro, Jorge E; Mínguez-Alarcón, Lidia; Williams, Paige L; Tanrikut, Cigdem; Ford, Jennifer B; Dadd, Ramace; Perry, Melissa J; Hauser, Russ; Gaskins, Audrey J

2018-06-01

We examined associations of residential distance to major roadways, as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution exposures, with sperm characteristics and male reproductive hormones. The cohort included 797 men recruited from Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between 2000 and 2015 to participate in fertility research studies. Men reported their residential addresses at enrollment and provided 1-6 semen samples and a blood sample during follow-up. We estimated the Euclidean distance to major roadways (e.g. interstates and highways: limited access highways, multi-lane highways (not limited access), other numbered routes, and major roads) using information from the Massachusetts Department of Geographic Information Systems. Semen parameters (1238 semen samples), sperm DNA integrity (389 semen samples), chromosomal disomy (101 semen samples), and serum reproductive hormones (405 serum samples) were assessed following standard procedures. Men in this cohort were primarily Caucasian (86%), not current smokers (92%), with a college or higher education (88%), and had an average age of 36 years and BMI of 27.7 kg/m 2 . The median (interquartile range) residential distance to a major roadway was 111 (37, 248) meters. Residential proximity to major roadways was not associated with semen parameters, sperm DNA integrity, chromosomal disomy, or serum reproductive hormone concentrations. The adjusted percent change (95% CI) in semen quality parameters associated with a 500 m increase in residential distance to a major roadway was -1.0% (-6.3, 4.5) for semen volume, 4.3% (-5.8, 15.7) for sperm concentration, 3.1% (-7.2, 14.5) for sperm count, 1.1% (-1.2, 3.4) for % total motile sperm, and 0.1% (-0.3, 0.5) for % morphologically normal sperm. Results were consistent when we modeled the semen parameters dichotomized according to WHO 2010 reference values. Residential distance to major roadways, as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution exposure, was not related

Evolving markets and new end use gas technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Overall, J.

1995-01-01

End use gas technologies, and products for residential, commercial, and industrial uses were reviewed, and markets and market drivers needed for end use technologies in the different types of markets were summarized. The range of end use technologies included: gas fireplaces, combination heating/water heating systems, integrated appliance such as heating/ventilation units, gas cooling, and space cooling for commercial markets. The present and future status of each product market was discussed. Growing markets such as cogeneration, and gas turbine technology also received attention, along with regulatory and environmental concerns. The need to be knowledgeable about current market drivers and to introduce new ones, and the evolution of technology were emphasized as means by which the industry will continue to be able to exert a decisive influence on the direction of these markets

Integrating gas and electric markets and regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitmore, C.S.

1998-01-01

The issues determining what energy companies must do to compete in an increasingly competitive energy market and what regulators must do to ensure fairness in competition were discussed. The similarities of gas and electric markets, and the factors driving their integration were highlighted. The importance of communications and customer service in the energy market and the nature of market power in the gas and electric industries was described. Three reasons were given why gas/electric mergers will be beneficial: (1) operating efficiency, (2) applying gas experience to electric markets, and (3) opportunity to exercise market power. Potential regulatory problems were also reviewed

Optimization scheduling in intelligent Energy Management System for the DC residential distribution system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yue, Jingpeng; Hu, Zhijian; Li, Chendan

2017-01-01

Smart DC residential distribution system(RDS) consisted by DC living homes will be a significant integral part in the future green transmission with demand flexibility. Meanwhile, the distributed generations will play an important role in the active demand response (DR). Energy Management System...... (EMS) with aid of the wireless communication and the smart meter is imperative in achieving ADR for DC residential community. This paper presents a framework of centralized management system integration and the key process of ADR in DC residential distribution system. The propose framework and methods...

Calculating residential carbon dioxide emissions - a new approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, Larry; Bohan, Kathleen; Good, Joel; Jafapur, Khosrow

2005-01-01

All Annex 1 Parties are required to submit an annual national greenhouse gas inventory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change using the common report format. The inventory is to include a sectoral report for energy, listing different sectors and their associated greenhouse gas emissions (principally carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide). The sectors and their associated emissions can be used as a benchmark to show changes in emissions over time. In certain cases, these changes can be misleading, since an apparent emission reduction in one sector can result in a significant increase in the emissions of another, typically electricity production. Applying the emissions to the sector responsible for the final energy demand (as opposed to the sector that generates the energy) allows researchers and policy makers to develop reduction strategies that are targeted to the demand. This paper demonstrates this by removing the equivalent residential emissions from category A.1.a (Public Electricity and Heat Production) and applying them to category A.4.b (Residential) in Nova Scotia, a Canadian province that relies heavily on fossil fuels for electrical generation. The shift in emissions changes an apparent 4.1 percent decrease in Nova Scotia's residential emissions between 1991 and 2001 to an 8.2 percent increase. (Author)

Residential Energy Use and Conservation. Economics, Demographics, and Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brounen, D. [Department of Financial Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Kok, N. [Limburg Institute of Financial Economics LIFE, Maastricht University, Maastricht (Netherlands); Quigley, J.M. [Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2011-03-15

Energy consumption in the residential sector offers an important opportunity for conserving resources. However, much of the current debate regarding energy efficiency in the housing market focuses on the physical and technical determinants of energy consumption, neglecting the role of the economic behavior of resident households. In this paper, we analyze the extent to which the use of gas and electricity is determined by the technical specifications of the dwelling as compared to the demographic characteristics of the occupying household, using a unique set of microeconomic data for a sample of more than 300,000 Dutch homes. The results show that residential gas consumption is determined principally by structural dwelling characteristics, such as the vintage, building type and quality of the home, while electricity consumption varies more directly with household composition, in particular income and family composition. Combining these results with projections on future economic and demographic trends, we find that, absent price increases for residential energy, the aging of the population and their increasing wealth will mostly offset improvements in the energy efficiency of the building stock resulting from policy interventions and natural revitalization.

A prospective study to evaluate a new residential community reintegration programme for severe chronic brain injury: the Brain Integration Programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Geurtsen, G J; Martina, J D; Van Heugten, C M; Geurts, A C H

2008-07-01

To assess the effectiveness of a residential community reintegration programme for participants with chronic sequelae of severe acquired brain injury that hamper community functioning. Prospective cohort study. Twenty-four participants with acquired brain injury (traumatic n = 18; stroke n = 3, tumour n = 2, encephalitis n = 1). Participants had impaired illness awareness, alcohol and drug problems and/or behavioural problems. A skills-oriented programme with modules related to independent living, work, social and emotional well-being. The Community Integration Questionnaire, CES-Depression, EuroQOL, Employability Rating Scale, living situation and work status were scored at the start (T0), end of treatment (T1) and 1-year follow-up (T2). Significant effects on the majority of outcome measures were present at T1. Employability significantly improved at T2 and living independently rose from 42% to over 70%. Participants working increased from 38% to 58% and the hours of work per week increased from 8 to 15. The Brain Integration Programme led to a sustained reduction in experienced problems and improved community integration. It is concluded that even participants with complex problems due to severe brain injury who got stuck in life could improve their social participation and emotional well-being through a residential community reintegration programme.

Evaluation of advanced technologies for residential appliances and residential and commercial lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turiel, I.; Atkinson, B.; Boghosian, S.; Chan, P.; Jennings, J.; Lutz, J.; McMahon, J.; Rosenquist, G.

1995-01-01

Section 127 of the Energy Policy Act requires that the Department of Energy (DOE) prepare a report to Congress on the potential for the development and commercialization of appliances that substantially exceed the present federal or state efficiency standards. Candidate high-efficiency appliances must meet several criteria including: the potential exists for substantial improvement (beyond the minimum established in law) of the appliance`s energy efficiency; electric, water, or gas utilities are prepared to support and promote the commercialization of such appliances; manufacturers are unlikely to undertake development and commercialization of such appliances on their own, or development and production would be substantially accelerated by support to manufacturers. This report describes options to improve the efficiency of residential appliances, including water heaters, clothes washers and dryers, refrigerator/freezers, dishwashers, space heating and cooling devices, as well as residential and commercial lighting products. Data from this report (particularly Appendix 1)were used to prepare the report to Congress mentioned previously. For the residential sector, national energy savings are calculated using the LBL Residential Energy Model. This model projects the number of households and appliance saturations over time. First, end-use consumption is calculated for a base case where models that only meet the standard replace existing models as these reach the end of their lifetime. Second, models with efficiencies equal to the technology under consideration replace existing models that reach the end of their lifetime. For the commercial sector, the COMMEND model was utilized to project national energy savings from new technologies. In this report, energy savings are shown for the period 1988 to 2015.

Well Integrity for Natural Gas Storage in Depleted Reservoirs and Aquifers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freifeld, Barry [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Oldenburg, Curtis [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Jordan, Preston [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Pan, Lehua [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Perfect, Scott [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Morris, Joseph [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); White, Joshua [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Bauer, Stephen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Blankenship, Douglas [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Roberts, Barry [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bromhal, Grant [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Glosser, Deborah [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Wyatt, Douglas [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Rose, Kelly [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)

2016-09-01

The 2015-2016 Aliso Canyon/Porter Ranch natural gas well blowout emitted approximately 100,000 tonnes of natural gas (mostly methane, CH₄) over four months. The blowout impacted thousands of nearby residents, who were displaced from their homes. The high visibility of the event has led to increased scrutiny of the safety of natural gas storage at the Aliso Canyon facility, as well as broader concern for natural gas storage integrity throughout the country. This report presents the findings of the DOE National Laboratories Well Integrity Work Group efforts in the four tasks. In addition to documenting the work of the Work Group, this report presents high priority recommendations to improve well integrity and reduce the likelihood and consequences of subsurface natural gas leaks.

Building and household X-factors and energy consumption at the residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estiri, Hossein

2014-01-01

Energy use in residential buildings is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emission production from cities. Using microdata from the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), this study applies structural equation modeling to analyze the direct, indirect, and total impacts of household and building characteristics on residential energy consumption. Results demonstrate that the direct impact of household characteristics on residential energy consumption is significantly smaller than the corresponding impact from the buildings. However, accounting for the indirect impact of household characteristics on energy consumption, through choice of the housing unit characteristics, the total impact of households on energy consumption is just slightly smaller than that of buildings. Outcomes of this paper call for smart policies to incorporate housing choice processes in managing residential energy consumption. - Highlights: • Households indirectly influence residential energy use through housing choice. • Households' total impact on energy use is comparable to that of buildings. • Understanding households' indirect impact will enhance residential energy policy. • Smart energy policies are needed to target both direct and indirect effects

Preliminary experimental investigation of a natural gas-fired ORC-based micro-CHP system for residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrokhi, M.; Noie, S.H.; Akbarzadeh, A.A.

2014-01-01

The continual increases in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions, call for efficient use of energy resources. Decentralized combined heat and power (CHP) technology provides an alternative for the world to meet and solve energy-related problems including energy shortages, energy supply security, emission control and conservation of energy. This paper presents the preliminary results of an experimental investigation of a natural gas-fired micro-CHP system for residential buildings based on an organic Rankine cycle (ORC). Isopentane was used as the ORC working fluid in consideration of several criteria including its environmentally-friendly characteristics. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed system at different heat source temperatures of nominally 85, 80, 75, 70, and 65 °C. The maximum electrical power output of 77.4 W was generated at heating water entry temperature of 84.1 °C, corresponding to net cycle electrical efficiency of 1.66%. Further work will be done with a view to increasing the cycle electrical efficiency by using more efficient components, in particular the expander and generator. - Highlights: •A natural gas-fired ORC-based micro-scale CHP system has been developed and tested. •The good agreement between the mechanical and gross power validates the assumptions. •A vane expander suits a micro-CHP system based on an organic Rankine cycle. •A vane expander does not suit power generation by a Trilateral Flash Cycle (TFC). •Domestic gas-fired ORC systems may reduce reliance on central power stations

Community Design Parameters and the Performance of Residential Cogeneration Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazem Rashed-Ali

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The integration of cogeneration systems in residential and mixed-use communities has the potential of reducing their energy demand and harmful emissions and can thus play asignificant role in increasing their environmental sustainability. This study investigated the impact of selected planning and architectural design parameters on the environmental and economic performances of centralized cogeneration systems integrated into residential communities in U.S.cold climates. Parameters investigated include: 1 density, 2 use mix, 3 street configuration, 4 housing typology, 5 envelope and building systems’ efficiencies, and 6 passive solar energyutilization. The study integrated several simulation tools into a procedure to assess the impact of each design parameter on the cogeneration system performance. This assessment procedure included: developing a base-line model representing typical design characteristics of U.S. residential communities; assessing the cogeneration system’s performance within this model using three performance indicators: percentage of reduction in primary energy use, percentage of reduction in CO2 emissions; and internal rate of return; assessing the impact of each parameter on the system performance through developing 46 design variations of the base-line model representing potential changes in each parameter and calculating the three indicators for each variation; and finally, using a multi-attribute decision analysis methodology to evaluate the relative impact of each parameter on the cogeneration system performance. The study results show that planning parameters had a higher impact on the cogeneration system performance than architectural ones. Also, a significant correlation was found between design characteristics identified as favorable for the cogeneration system performance and those of sustainable residential communities. These include high densities, high use mix, interconnected street networks, and mixing of

Mitigation of the Impact of High Plug-in Electric Vehicle Penetration on Residential Distribution Grid Using Smart Charging Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chong Cao

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Vehicle electrification presents a great opportunity to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions. The greater use of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs, however, puts stress on local distribution networks. This paper presents an optimal PEV charging control method integrated with utility demand response (DR signals to mitigate the impact of PEV charging to several aspects of a grid, including load surge, distribution accumulative voltage deviation, and transformer aging. To build a realistic PEV charging load model, the results of National Household Travel Survey (NHTS have been analyzed and a stochastic PEV charging model has been defined based on survey results. The residential distribution grid contains 120 houses and is modeled in GridLAB-D. Co-simulation is performed using Matlab and GridLAB-D to enable the optimal control algorithm in Matlab to control PEV charging loads in the residential grid modeled in GridLAB-D. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed optimal charging control method in mitigating the negative impacts of PEV charging on the residential grid.

In-home performance of residential cordwood stoves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houck, J.E.; Barnett, S.G.; Roholt, R.B.

1991-01-01

The air quality impacts of residential cordwood stoves have been of concern to regulators, energy planners, and members of the woodstove industry. In addition, the reliability of laboratory certification emission values in predicting 'real world' emissions has been questioned. In response to these concerns, particulate emissions from residential cordwood stoves under actual in-home use have been measured for 5 heating seasons as part of 12 separate studies in Oregon, New York, Vermont, and the Yukon Territory. Monitoring was conducted using an automated emission sampler (AES) system. The system has been deployed in nearly 100 individual homes. Typically, emissions from several 1-week-long integrated sampling periods over the course of the heating season were measured with the AES system at each home. Particulate emission rates in grams of particles per hour of stove operation, grams of particles per kilogram of dry wood burned, and grams of particles per million Joules were calculated. Ancillary data provided by the studies included wood burn rates, homeowner wood loading patterns, wood moisture content and species, hours of operation of auxiliary heating appliances in the study homes, room ambient, flue gas, catalyst, and pre-catalyst temperatures, and hours of catalyst operation. Conventional stoves, high-technology non-catalytic stoves, catalytic stoves, and stoves equipped with retrofit catalytic devices have been studied. In addition to the 12 cordwood stove studies, the AES system has been used in 2 pellet stove studies and 1 fireplace study

A Miniaturized Optical Sensor with Integrated Gas Cell

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ayerden, N.P.; Ghaderi, M.; De Graaf, G.; Wolffenbuttel, R.F.

2015-01-01

The design, fabrication and characterization of a highly integrated optical gas sensor is presented. The gas cell takes up most of the space in a microspectrometer and is the only component that has so far not been miniaturized. Using the tapered resonator cavity of a linear variable optical filter

Toward the integration of European natural gas markets:A time-varying approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renou-Maissant, Patricia

2012-01-01

Over the past fifteen years, European gas markets have radically changed. In order to build a single European gas market, a new regulatory framework has been established through three European Gas Directives. The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of the reforms in the natural gas industry on consumer prices, with a specific focus on gas prices for industrial use. The strength of the relationship between the industrial gas prices of six western European countries is studied by testing the Law of One Price for the period 1991–2009. Estimations were carried out using both cointegration analysis and time-varying parameter models. Results highlight an emerging and on-going process of convergence between the industrial gas prices in western Europe since 2001 for the six EU member states. The strength and the level of convergence differ widely between countries. Strong integration of gas markets in continental Europe, except for the Belgian market, has been established. It appears that the convergence process between continental countries and the UK is not completed. Thus, the integration of European gas markets remains an open issue and the question of how far integration will proceed will still be widely discussed in the coming years. - Highlights: ► We investigate the integration of European natural gas markets. ► We use both cointegration analysis and time-varying parameter models. ► We show the failure of cointegration techniques to take account of evolving processes. ► An emerging and on-going process of convergence between the industrial gas prices is at work. ► Strong integration of gas markets in continental Europe has been established.

Natural gas integration in Latin America: end of a dream?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moutinho dos Santos, E.; Oxilia Davalos, V.E.; Tadeu Werneck Faga, M.

2007-01-01

Throughout the 1990's to year 2000, energy integration, and particularly natural gas integration, was seen as a major goal in the southern cone of South America. The regional perspective for energy was related to an even more challenging objective - Latin American economic integration, which was quickly moving forward by the constitution of Mercosur, the free trade zone built by Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, and also having Bolivia and Chile as special partners. Mercosur was getting stronger and becoming a successful political project. Trade conflicts existed, but they were considered normal and nobody would disagree about the viability of Mercosur. By the beginning of the 21. century, the economic integration process in South America was already advancing timidly as compared to the impetus from the beginning of 1990's. Mercosur started facing complex and almost insurmountable challenges after the numerous global financial crises (from 1998 to 2003) had affected the economic balances in the region. Energy and gas integration in South America has equally lost perspective as fast as the importance of economic integration has declined. The economic crises in the region and poor energy policies have discourage energy companies to invest. The paper presents this recent history of rise and fall in the concept of economic and energy integration in the southern cone of South America. Despite the abundance of energy resources, and particularly the plethora of recently discovered natural gas, the region has been experiencing systematic and important energy shortages, which may threaten its economic recovery. A stronger energy integration policy would help all the partner countries to reduce energy supply risks. Yet, energy (and gas) integration in the southern cone is still a complex long-term political project, which must involve all countries, but whose future perspective is unclear. It seems almost impossible to keep pushing forward this project without

Optimal integration of linear Fresnel reflector with gas turbine cogeneration power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dabwan, Yousef N.; Mokheimer, Esmail M.A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A LFR integrated solar gas turbine cogeneration plant (ISGCPP) has been simulated. • The optimally integrated LFR with gas turbine cogeneration plant can achieve an annual solar share of 23%. • Optimal integration of LFR with gas turbine cogeneration system can reduce CO 2 emission by 18%. • Compared to a fully-solar-powered LFR plant, the optimal ISGCPP reduces the LEC by 83%. • ISGCPP reduces the LEC by 50% compared to plants integrated with carbon capture technology. - Abstract: Solar energy is an abundant resource in many countries in the Sunbelt, especially in the middle east, countries, where recent expansion in the utilization of natural gas for electricity generation has created a significant base for introducing integrated solar‐natural gas power plants (ISGPP) as an optimal solution for electricity generation in these countries. ISGPP reduces the need for thermal energy storage in traditional concentrated solar thermal plants and results in dispatchable power on demand at lower cost than stand-alone concentrated thermal power and much cheaper than photovoltaic plants. Moreover, integrating concentrated solar power (CSP) with conventional fossil fuel based thermal power plants is quite suitable for large-scale central electric power generation plants and it can be implemented in the design of new installed plants or during retrofitting of existing plants. The main objective of the present work is to investigate the possible modifications of an existing gas turbine cogeneration plant, which has a gas turbine of 150 MWe electricity generation capacity and produces steam at a rate of 81.4 at 394 °C and 45.88 bars for an industrial process, via integrating it with concentrated solar power system. In this regard, many simulations have been carried out using Thermoflow software to explore the thermo-economic performance of the gas turbine cogeneration plant integrated with LFR concentrated solar power field. Different electricity

Impacts of Residential Biofuel Emissions on Air Quality and Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Y.; Unger, N.; Harper, K.; Storelvmo, T.

2016-12-01

The residential biofuel sector is defined as fuelwood, agricultural residues and dung used for household cooking and heating. Aerosol emissions from this human activity play an important role affecting local, regional and global air quality, climate and public health. However, there are only few studies available that evaluate the net impacts and large uncertainties persist. Here we use the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.3 (CAM v5.3) within the Community Earth System Model version 1.2.2, to quantify the impacts of cook-stove biofuel emissions on air quality and climate. The model incorporates a novel advanced treatment of black carbon (BC) effects on mixed-phase/ice clouds. We update the global anthropogenic emission inventory in CAM v5.3 to a state-of-the-art emission inventory from the Greenhouse Gas-Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies integrated assessment model. Global in-situ and aircraft campaign observations for BC and organic carbon are used to evaluate and validate the model performance. Sensitivity simulations are employed to assess the impacts of residential biofuel emissions on regional and global direct and indirect radiative forcings in the contemporary world. We focus the analyses on several key regions including India, China and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Residential indoor air quality guideline : ozone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Ozone (O 3 ) is a colourless gas that reacts rapidly on surfaces and with other constituents in the air. Sources of indoor O 3 include devices sold as home air cleaners, and some types of office equipment. Outdoor O 3 is also an important contributor to indoor levels of O 3 , depending on the air exchange rate with indoor environments. This residential indoor air quality guideline examined factors that affect the introduction, dispersion and removal of O 3 indoors. The health effects of prolonged exposure to O 3 were discussed, and studies conducted to evaluate the population health impacts of O 3 were reviewed. The studies demonstrated that there is a significant association between ambient O 3 and adverse health impacts. Exposure guidelines for residential indoor air quality were discussed. 14 refs.

Life Cycle Assessment of Residential Heating and Cooling Systems in Minnesota A comprehensive analysis on life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cost-effectiveness of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems compared to the conventional gas furnace and air conditioner system

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mo

Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) technologies for residential heating and cooling are often suggested as an effective means to curb energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower homeowners' heating and cooling costs. As such, numerous federal, state and utility-based incentives, most often in the forms of financial incentives, installation rebates, and loan programs, have been made available for these technologies. While GSHP technology for space heating and cooling is well understood, with widespread implementation across the U.S., research specific to the environmental and economic performance of these systems in cold climates, such as Minnesota, is limited. In this study, a comparative environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted of typical residential HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems in Minnesota to investigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for delivering 20 years of residential heating and cooling—maintaining indoor temperatures of 68°F (20°C) and 75°F (24°C) in Minnesota-specific heating and cooling seasons, respectively. Eight residential GSHP design scenarios (i.e. horizontal loop field, vertical loop field, high coefficient of performance, low coefficient of performance, hybrid natural gas heat back-up) and one conventional natural gas furnace and air conditioner system are assessed for GHG and life cycle economic costs. Life cycle GHG emissions were found to range between 1.09 × 105 kg CO2 eq. and 1.86 × 10 5 kg CO2 eq. Six of the eight GSHP technology scenarios had fewer carbon impacts than the conventional system. Only in cases of horizontal low-efficiency GSHP and hybrid, do results suggest increased GHGs. Life cycle costs and present value analyses suggest GSHP technologies can be cost competitive over their 20-year life, but that policy incentives may be required to reduce the high up-front capital costs of GSHPs and relatively long payback periods of more than 20 years. In addition

An integration scheme for stiff solid-gas reactor models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bjarne A. Foss

2001-04-01

Full Text Available Many dynamic models encounter numerical integration problems because of a large span in the dynamic modes. In this paper we develop a numerical integration scheme for systems that include a gas phase, and solid and liquid phases, such as a gas-solid reactor. The method is based on neglecting fast dynamic modes and exploiting the structure of the algebraic equations. The integration method is suitable for a large class of industrially relevant systems. The methodology has proven remarkably efficient. It has in practice performed excellent and been a key factor for the success of the industrial simulator for electrochemical furnaces for ferro-alloy production.

Types of spatial mobility and change in people's ethnic residential contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kadi Mägi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Most studies of the ethnic composition of destination neighbourhoods after residential moves do not take into account the types of moves people have made. However, from an individual perspective, different types of moves may result in neighbourhood environments which differ in terms of their ethnic composition from those in which the individuals previously lived. Objective: We investigate how the ethnic residential context changes for individuals as a result of different types of mobility (immobility, intra-urban mobility, suburbanisation, and long-distance migration for residents of the segregated post-Soviet city of Tallinn. We compare the extent to which Estonian and Russian speakers integrate in residential terms. Methods: Using unique longitudinal Census data (2000-2011 we tracked changes in the individual ethnic residential context of both groups. Results: We found that the moving destinations of Estonian and Russian speakers diverge. When Estonians move, their new neighbourhood generally possesses a lower percentage of Russian speakers compared with when Russian speakers move, as well as compared with their previous neighbourhoods. For Russian speakers, the percentage of other Russian speakers in their residential surroundings decreases only for those who move to the rural suburbs or who move over longer distances to rural villages. Contribution: By applying a novel approach of tracking the changes in the ethnic residential context of individuals for all mobility types, we were able to demonstrate that the two largest ethnolinguistic groups in Estonia tend to behave as 'parallel populations' and that residential integration remains slow.

Essays on the economics of energy markets. Security of supply and greenhouse gas abatement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dieckhoener, Caroline

2013-01-01

determined by investment decisions and significantly affect the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Major investment decisions of households concern investments in heating systems and in dwelling insulation. The investment decision of heterogenous households is not strictly driven by monetary objectives but also by non-monetary preferences. Hence, understanding household behavior is crucial for the development of targeted policies in greenhouse gas abatement. In the third paper of the thesis, micro-economic greenhouse gas abatement curves are derived theoretically and numerically by applying the dynamic microsimulation model (DIscrHEat) for the residential heating market, which integrates a discrete choice estimation of household behavior by using data on actual heating choices. The last paper is a panel data analysis of the effectiveness of subsidies on residential investments in energy efficiency and on energy consumption applying a differences-in-differences-in-differences approach.

Essays on the economics of energy markets. Security of supply and greenhouse gas abatement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dieckhoener, Caroline

2013-02-01

determined by investment decisions and significantly affect the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Major investment decisions of households concern investments in heating systems and in dwelling insulation. The investment decision of heterogenous households is not strictly driven by monetary objectives but also by non-monetary preferences. Hence, understanding household behavior is crucial for the development of targeted policies in greenhouse gas abatement. In the third paper of the thesis, micro-economic greenhouse gas abatement curves are derived theoretically and numerically by applying the dynamic microsimulation model (DIscrHEat) for the residential heating market, which integrates a discrete choice estimation of household behavior by using data on actual heating choices. The last paper is a panel data analysis of the effectiveness of subsidies on residential investments in energy efficiency and on energy consumption applying a differences-in-differences-in-differences approach.

Integrated hot fuel gas cleaning for advanced gasification combined cycle process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieminen, M.; Kangasmaa, K.; Laatikainen, J.; Staahlberg, P.; Kurkela, E. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Gasification and Advanced Combustion

1996-12-01

The fate of halogens in pressurised fluidized-bed gasification and hot gas filtration is determined. Potential halogen removal sorbents, suitable for integrated hot gas cleaning, are screened and some selected sorbents are tested in bench scale. Finally, halogen removal results are verified using the PDU-scale pressurised fluidized-bed gasification and integrated hot gas cleaning facilities of VTT. The project is part of the JOULE II Extension programme of the European Union. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 2. quarter 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

Since July 1, 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web-site (www.cre.fr). It presents: The electricity market; The retail electricity market: Non-residential customer segments and their respective weights, Status at July 1, 2007, Dynamic analysis: 2. Quarter 2007; The wholesale electricity market: Wholesale market activity in France, Prices on the French wholesale market and European comparison, Import and export volumes, Concentration of the French electricity market, Striking facts of the second quarter 2007; The gas market; The retail gas market: The non-residential customer segments and their respective weights, Status at July 1. 2007; The wholesale gas market: Gas pricing and gas markets in Europe,The wholesale market in France. Some glossaries are attached to the document: Electricity and gas market observatories combined glossary; Specific electricity market observatory glossary; Specific gas market observatory glossary

Electricity and gas market observatory. 2. quarter 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

Since July 1, 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web-site (www.cre.fr). It presents: The electricity market; The retail electricity market: Non-residential customer segments and their respective weights, Status at July 1, 2007, Dynamic analysis: 2. Quarter 2007; The wholesale electricity market: Wholesale market activity in France, Prices on the French wholesale market and European comparison, Import and export volumes, Concentration of the French electricity market, Striking facts of the second quarter 2007; The gas market; The retail gas market: The non-residential customer segments and their respective weights, Status at July 1. 2007; The wholesale gas market: Gas pricing and gas markets in Europe,The wholesale market in France. Some glossaries are attached to the document: Electricity and gas market observatories combined glossary; Specific electricity market observatory glossary; Specific gas market observatory glossary.

Optimal replacement of residential air conditioning equipment to minimize energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and consumer cost in the US

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Kleine, Robert D.; Keoleian, Gregory A.; Kelly, Jarod C.

2011-01-01

A life cycle optimization of the replacement of residential central air conditioners (CACs) was conducted in order to identify replacement schedules that minimized three separate objectives: life cycle energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and consumer cost. The analysis was conducted for the time period of 1985-2025 for Ann Arbor, MI and San Antonio, TX. Using annual sales-weighted efficiencies of residential CAC equipment, the tradeoff between potential operational savings and the burdens of producing new, more efficient equipment was evaluated. The optimal replacement schedule for each objective was identified for each location and service scenario. In general, minimizing energy consumption required frequent replacement (4-12 replacements), minimizing GHG required fewer replacements (2-5 replacements), and minimizing cost required the fewest replacements (1-3 replacements) over the time horizon. Scenario analysis of different federal efficiency standards, regional standards, and Energy Star purchases were conducted to quantify each policy's impact. For example, a 16 SEER regional standard in Texas was shown to either reduce primary energy consumption 13%, GHGs emissions by 11%, or cost by 6-7% when performing optimal replacement of CACs from 2005 or before. The results also indicate that proper servicing should be a higher priority than optimal replacement to minimize environmental burdens. - Highlights: → Optimal replacement schedules for residential central air conditioners were found. → Minimizing energy required more frequent replacement than minimizing consumer cost. → Significant variation in optimal replacement was observed for Michigan and Texas. → Rebates for altering replacement patterns are not cost effective for GHG abatement. → Maintenance levels were significant in determining the energy and GHG impacts.

Integrating macro and micro scale approaches in the agent-based modeling of residential dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Saeedi, Sara

2018-06-01

With the advancement of computational modeling and simulation (M&S) methods as well as data collection technologies, urban dynamics modeling substantially improved over the last several decades. The complex urban dynamics processes are most effectively modeled not at the macro-scale, but following a bottom-up approach, by simulating the decisions of individual entities, or residents. Agent-based modeling (ABM) provides the key to a dynamic M&S framework that is able to integrate socioeconomic with environmental models, and to operate at both micro and macro geographical scales. In this study, a multi-agent system is proposed to simulate residential dynamics by considering spatiotemporal land use changes. In the proposed ABM, macro-scale land use change prediction is modeled by Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and deployed as the agent environment and micro-scale residential dynamics behaviors autonomously implemented by household agents. These two levels of simulation interacted and jointly promoted urbanization process in an urban area of Tehran city in Iran. The model simulates the behavior of individual households in finding ideal locations to dwell. The household agents are divided into three main groups based on their income rank and they are further classified into different categories based on a number of attributes. These attributes determine the households' preferences for finding new dwellings and change with time. The ABM environment is represented by a land-use map in which the properties of the land parcels change dynamically over the simulation time. The outputs of this model are a set of maps showing the pattern of different groups of households in the city. These patterns can be used by city planners to find optimum locations for building new residential units or adding new services to the city. The simulation results show that combining macro- and micro-level simulation can give full play to the potential of the ABM to understand the driving

PEM - fuel cell system for residential applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Britz, P. [Viessmann Werke GmbH and Co KG, 35107 Allendorf (Germany); Zartenar, N.

2004-12-01

Viessmann is developing a PEM fuel cell system for residential applications. The uncharged PEM fuel cell system has a 2 kW electrical and 3 kW thermal power output. The Viessmann Fuel Processor is characterized by a steam-reformer/burner combination in which the burner supplies the required heat to the steam reformer unit and the burner exhaust gas is used to heat water. Natural gas is used as fuel, which is fed into the reforming reactor after passing an integrated desulphurisation unit. The low temperature (600 C) fuel processor is designed on the basis of steam reforming technology. For carbon monoxide removal, a single shift reactor and selective methanisation is used with noble metal catalysts on monoliths. In the shift reactor, carbon monoxide is converted into hydrogen by the water gas shift reaction. The low level of carbon monoxide at the outlet of the shift reactor is further reduced, to approximately 20 ppm, downstream in the methanisation reactor, to meet PEM fuel cell requirements. Since both catalysts work at the same temperature (240 C), there is no requirement for an additional heat exchanger in the fuel processor. Start up time is less than 30 min. In addition, Viessmann has developed a 2 kW class PEFC stack, without humidification. Reformate and dry air are fed straight to the stack. Due to the dry operation, water produced by the cell reaction rapidly diffuses through the electrolyte membrane. This was achieved by optimising the MEA, the gas flow pattern and the operating conditions. The cathode is operated by an air blower. (Abstract Copyright [2004], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Integrated failure probability estimation based on structural integrity analysis and failure data: Natural gas pipeline case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dundulis, Gintautas; Žutautaitė, Inga; Janulionis, Remigijus; Ušpuras, Eugenijus; Rimkevičius, Sigitas; Eid, Mohamed

2016-01-01

In this paper, the authors present an approach as an overall framework for the estimation of the failure probability of pipelines based on: the results of the deterministic-probabilistic structural integrity analysis (taking into account loads, material properties, geometry, boundary conditions, crack size, and defected zone thickness), the corrosion rate, the number of defects and failure data (involved into the model via application of Bayesian method). The proposed approach is applied to estimate the failure probability of a selected part of the Lithuanian natural gas transmission network. The presented approach for the estimation of integrated failure probability is a combination of several different analyses allowing us to obtain: the critical crack's length and depth, the failure probability of the defected zone thickness, dependency of the failure probability on the age of the natural gas transmission pipeline. A model's uncertainty analysis and uncertainty propagation analysis are performed, as well. - Highlights: • Degradation mechanisms of natural gas transmission pipelines. • Fracture mechanic analysis of the pipe with crack. • Stress evaluation of the pipe with critical crack. • Deterministic-probabilistic structural integrity analysis of gas pipeline. • Integrated estimation of pipeline failure probability by Bayesian method.

Risk and integrity management system for PETRONAS Gas Berhad's gas and liquid hydrocarbon pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khalid, Tuan Hj. Ahmad Nadzri bin; Nasir, Osman; Napiah, Mohd Nazmi Mohd Ali [PETRONAS Gas Berhad, Johor (Malaysia); Choong, Evelyn

2005-07-01

PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB), Malaysia currently operates one of Southeast Asia's largest onshore pipeline systems comprising more than 2,500 km of large diameter high pressure gas and liquid transmission, supply and lateral pipelines. Recognizing the value of a risk based approach to pipeline integrity management program, in 2002 PGB implemented a customized and fully integrated Risk and Integrity Management System (RIMS) which included software modules for: data management; semi-quantitative risk assessment; risk control cost benefit analyses; defect assessment; corrosion growth modeling; and reporting. As part of this project, a benchmarking study performed jointly with the contractor, PGB's pipeline integrity programs were also compared with a broad group of international pipeline operators. This study compared the relative ranking position of PGB pre- and post implementation of RIMS. It demonstrated that implementation of RIMS places PGB in a select group of first quartile international pipeline operators, with respect to the implementation of pipeline integrity management best practice. This paper describes the functionalities of RIMS system and how it has benefited PGB, which have been realized to date from its implementation. (author)

Small biogas plant with integrated gas and stirrer bellows. Kleinbiogasanlage mit integriertem Gas- und Ruehrbalg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon,

1985-09-12

The content of a flexible rectangular septic tank is stirred under the pressure produced by the gas generated by the rotting mass by means of integrated gas and stirring bellows. Their volume is indirectly connected via a gas pipe with the volume of the container, so that the gas formed in the septic tank can reach the bellows via this pipe and can expand this, which causes mixing and at the same time the rotting liquid exerts a pressure on the gas in the bellows. In this way, one can provide gas constantly under pressure. The formation of sinking and floating layers is prevented.

Residential CO{sub 2} heat pump system for combined space heating and hot water heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stene, Joern

2004-02-01

the inlet water temperature for the Dh preheating gas cooler unit. The lower the inlet temperature, the higher the Cop. The CO{sub 2} system will therefore achieve the highest COP at low city water temperatures, and when there is negligible mixing and minimum conductive heat transfer between the hot and cold water in the DHW tank during the tapping and charging periods. (5) The COP for the integrated CO{sub 2} heat pump is generally more sensitive to variations in the compressor efficiency than that of conventional brine/water-to-water heat pump systems. It is therefore of particular importance to apply a high-efficiency compressor. (6) At each operating mode and temperature programme, there will be an optimum gas cooler (high-side) pressure that leads to a maximum COP for the integrated CO{sub 2} heat pump. However, at moderate DHW temperatures, the heat pump can be operated at constant high-side pressure in all heating modes with only a minor reduction in the COP. This is favourable, since it simplifies the operation of the system and reduces the first cost. (7) During operation in the combined heating mode, the COP for the integrated CO{sub 2} heat pump may be higher than in the DHW heating mode due to similar temperature approaches at the cold outlet of the gas coolers and lower optimum high-side pressure. The higher the DHW temperature, the larger the COP difference for the operating modes. (8) The integrated CO{sub 2} heat pump system will be more complex than the state-of-the art residential heat pump systems due to the requirement for a tripartite gas cooler, extra valves and tubing for by-pass of fluids, an inverter controlled pump in the DHW circuit as well as an especially designed DHW storage tank. The application of optimum high-side pressure control will further increase the technical and operational complexity of the system. (9) Conductive heat transfer between the DHW and the cold city water in the storage tank during the tapping and charging periods

Heat-pump-centered integrated community energy systems. System development, Consolidated Natural Gas Service Company, interim report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tison, R.R.; Baker, N.R.; Yudow, B.D.; Sala, D.L.; Donakowski, T.D.; Swenson, P.F.

1979-08-01

Heat-pump-centered integrated community energy systems are energy systems for communities that provide heating, cooling, and/or other thermal energy services through the use of heat pumps. Since heat pumps primarily transfer energy from existing and otherwise probably unused sources, rather than convert it from electrical or chemical to thermal form, HP-ICES offer a significant potential for energy savings. Results of the System Development Phase of the HP-ICES Project are given. The heat-actuated (gas) heat-pump incorporated into this HP-ICES concept is under current development and demonstration. The concurrent program was redirected in September 1977 toward large-tonnage applications; it is currently focusing on 60- to 400-ton built-up systems for multi-zone applications. This study evaluates the performance of a HAHP-ICES as applied to a community of residential and commercial buildings. To permit a general assessment of the concept in non-site-specific terms, the sensitivity of the system's performance and economics to climate, community size, utility rate structures, and economic assumptions is explored. (MCW)

Natural gas–biomass dual fuelled microturbines: Comparison of operating strategies in the Italian residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantaleo, Antonio M.; Camporeale, Sergio; Shah, Nilay

2014-01-01

gas and the high subsidies available for biomass electricity by feed-in tariffs. The results show that dual fuel MT can be an interesting option to increase efficiencies, flexibility and plant reliability at low cost in comparison to only biomass systems, facilitating an integration of renewable and fossil fuel systems. - Highlights: • A natural gas/biomass fired 100 kWe microturbine serving residential energy demand is investigated. • Energy efficiency, capex, opex and electricity revenues trade-offs are assessed. • Various CHP plant operating strategies are compared. • The optimal biomass energy input is 70% of total CHP consumption. • The heat driven operation is the most profitable operation mode in the Italian energy framework

Study on Gas-liquid Falling Film Flow in Internal Heat Integrated Distillation Column

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chong

2017-10-01

Gas-liquid internally heat integrated distillation column falling film flow with nonlinear characteristics, study on gas liquid falling film flow regulation control law, can reduce emissions of the distillation column, and it can improve the quality of products. According to the distribution of gas-liquid mass balance internally heat integrated distillation column independent region, distribution model of heat transfer coefficient of building internal heat integrated distillation tower is obtained liquid distillation falling film flow in the saturated vapour pressure of liquid water balance, using heat transfer equation and energy equation to balance the relationship between the circulating iterative gas-liquid falling film flow area, flow parameter information, at a given temperature, pressure conditions, gas-liquid flow falling film theory makes the optimal parameters to achieve the best fitting value with the measured values. The results show that the geometric gas-liquid internally heat integrated distillation column falling film flow heat exchange area and import column thermostat, the average temperature has significant. The positive correlation between the heat exchanger tube entrance due to temperature difference between inside and outside, the heat flux is larger, with the increase of internal heat integrated distillation column temperature, the slope decreases its temperature rise, which accurately describes the internal gas-liquid heat integrated distillation tower falling film flow regularity, take appropriate measures to promote the enhancement of heat transfer. It can enhance the overall efficiency of the heat exchanger.

On public space design for Chinese urban residential area based on integrated architectural physics environment evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, J. Y.; Cheng, W.; Ma, C. P.; Tan, Y. T.; Xin, L. S.

2017-04-01

The residential public space is an important part in designing the ecological residence, and a proper physics environment of public space is of greater significance to urban residence in China. Actually, the measure to apply computer aided design software into residential design can effectively avoid an inconformity of design intent with actual using condition, and a negative impact on users due to bad architectural physics environment of buildings, etc. The paper largely adopts a design method of analyzing architectural physics environment of residential public space. By analyzing and evaluating various physics environments, a suitability assessment is obtained for residential public space, thereby guiding the space design.

Transition issues in an unbundled residential market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brett, J.D.

1996-01-01

Aspects of an unbundled residential gas market were discussed, among them (1) the role of a local distribution company (LDC), (2) the context and the issues, (3) the customers'needs and desires, (4) long term planning responsibility, (5) consumer protection and dealing with abuses, (6) the obligation to serve, (7) the bad credit risk customer, (8) billing, credit and collection, and (9) metering and CIS

Residential indoor air quality guideline : carbon monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a tasteless, odourless, and colourless gas that can be produced by both natural and anthropogenic processes, but is most often formed during the incomplete combustion of organic materials. In the indoor environment, CO occurs directly as a result of emissions from indoor sources or as a result of infiltration from outdoor air containing CO. Studies have shown that the use of specific sources can lead to increased concentrations of CO indoors. This residential indoor air quality guideline examined the factors influencing the introduction, dispersion and removal of CO indoors. The health effects of exposure to low and higher concentrations of CO were discussed. Residential maximum exposure limits for CO were presented. Sources and concentrations in indoor environments were also examined. 17 refs., 2 tabs.

Evaluation of fuel-switching opportunities in the residential sector

OpenAIRE

Almeida, Aníbal T. de; Lopes, Ana; Carvalho, Anabela; Mariano, Jorge; Nunes, Catarina

2004-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of different natural gas and electricity end-use technologies in the residential sector, which compete among themselves in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions. The analysis of 17 different technology options, which were chosen in order to match the consumption behaviour of a typical Portuguese family, has shown that the use of electric heat pumps, both for space and water-heating, combined with the use of a natural gas cooker, leads ...

77 FR 28519 - Test Procedure Guidance for Room Air Conditioners, Residential Dishwashers, and Residential...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-15

... Guidance for Room Air Conditioners, Residential Dishwashers, and Residential Clothes Washers: Public... procedures for room air conditioners, residential dishwashers, and residential clothes washers. DATES: DOE...'s existing test procedures for residential room air conditioners, residential dishwashers, and...

Configuring a fuel cell based residential combined heat and power system

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Shabbir; Papadias, Dionissios D.; Ahluwalia, Rajesh K.

2013-11-01

The design and performance of a fuel cell based residential combined heat and power (CHP) system operating on natural gas has been analyzed. The natural gas is first converted to a hydrogen-rich reformate in a steam reformer based fuel processor, and the hydrogen is then electrochemically oxidized in a low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell to generate electric power. The heat generated in the fuel cell and the available heat in the exhaust gas is recovered to meet residential needs for hot water and space heating. Two fuel processor configurations have been studied. One of the configurations was explored to quantify the effects of design and operating parameters, which include pressure, temperature, and steam-to-carbon ratio in the fuel processor, and fuel utilization in the fuel cell. The second configuration applied the lessons from the study of the first configuration to increase the CHP efficiency. Results from the two configurations allow a quantitative comparison of the design alternatives. The analyses showed that these systems can operate at electrical efficiencies of ∼46% and combined heat and power efficiencies of ∼90%.

Residential applliance data, assumptions and methodology for end-use forecasting with EPRI-REEPS 2.1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, R.J,; Johnson, F.X.; Brown, R.E.; Hanford, J.W.; Kommey, J.G.

1994-05-01

This report details the data, assumptions and methodology for end-use forecasting of appliance energy use in the US residential sector. Our analysis uses the modeling framework provided by the Appliance Model in the Residential End-Use Energy Planning System (REEPS), which was developed by the Electric Power Research Institute. In this modeling framework, appliances include essentially all residential end-uses other than space conditioning end-uses. We have defined a distinct appliance model for each end-use based on a common modeling framework provided in the REEPS software. This report details our development of the following appliance models: refrigerator, freezer, dryer, water heater, clothes washer, dishwasher, lighting, cooking and miscellaneous. Taken together, appliances account for approximately 70% of electricity consumption and 30% of natural gas consumption in the US residential sector. Appliances are thus important to those residential sector policies or programs aimed at improving the efficiency of electricity and natural gas consumption. This report is primarily methodological in nature, taking the reader through the entire process of developing the baseline for residential appliance end-uses. Analysis steps documented in this report include: gathering technology and market data for each appliance end-use and specific technologies within those end-uses, developing cost data for the various technologies, and specifying decision models to forecast future purchase decisions by households. Our implementation of the REEPS 2.1 modeling framework draws on the extensive technology, cost and market data assembled by LBL for the purpose of analyzing federal energy conservation standards. The resulting residential appliance forecasting model offers a flexible and accurate tool for analyzing the effect of policies at the national level.

Reliability modelling - PETROBRAS 2010 integrated gas supply chain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faertes, Denise; Heil, Luciana; Saker, Leonardo; Vieira, Flavia; Risi, Francisco; Domingues, Joaquim; Alvarenga, Tobias; Carvalho, Eduardo; Mussel, Patricia

2010-09-15

The purpose of this paper is to present the innovative reliability modeling of Petrobras 2010 integrated gas supply chain. The model represents a challenge in terms of complexity and software robustness. It was jointly developed by PETROBRAS Gas and Power Department and Det Norske Veritas. It was carried out with the objective of evaluating security of supply of 2010 gas network design that was conceived to connect Brazilian Northeast and Southeast regions. To provide best in class analysis, state of the art software was used to quantify the availability and the efficiency of the overall network and its individual components.

Natural gas development and integration for Asian markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hovdestad, W. R.; Belgrave, J. D. M.

1995-01-01

Development schedule, and natural gas resources available to Southeast Asian countries were discussed in view of the area's rapidly growing market for natural gas. As evidence, the increased regional trade and cooperation are evident in the form of organizations like the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum were cited. Liquid natural gas pipeline grids were about 1/3 complete at the time of writing. Further development and completion of this system was expected to occur over the next 3 decades. Integration of new and existing facilities were seen to be inevitable future developments. The potential for international movement of natural gas from producing countries to consuming countries was assessed and was expected to remain favourable in the long term

The pricing of natural gas in US markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, S.P.A.; Yucel, M.K.

1993-01-01

Our econometric evidence indicates that changes in natural gas prices are unequal in the long run. Nonetheless, all downstream prices change by at least as much as the average well-head price. Statistically, residential and commercial prices change as much as the city gate price. In the face of persistent shocks, however, market institutions and market dynamics can lead to lengthy periods in which the residential and commercial prices of natural gas adjust less than the wellhead or city gate prices. Electrical and industrial users of natural gas rely heavily on spot supplies and can switch fuels easily. Their ability to switch fuels may be related to the development of a spot market to serve them. Reliance on the spot market may explain why these end users have seen a greater reduction in natural gas prices than have the LDCs over the past seven years. The ability to switch fuels may account for electrical and industrial prices being the source of shocks in their relationships with the wellhead price. It also may explain why prices in these end-sue markets are quick to adjust. Commercial and residential customers cannot switch fuels easily and rely heavily on LDCs for their natural gas. The inability of these end users to switch fuels probably contributes to the reluctance of LDCs to purchase spot supplies of gas. Reliance on contract supplies may explain why the city gate price has not declined as much as electrical and industrial prices of natural gas over the past seven years. Furthermore, the LDCs administer prices in the commercial and residential markets under state regulation

Longitudinal comparative evaluation of the equivalence of an integrated peer-support and clinical staffing model for residential mental health rehabilitation: a mixed methods protocol incorporating multiple stakeholder perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Stephen; Dark, Frances; Newman, Ellie; Korman, Nicole; Meurk, Carla; Siskind, Dan; Harris, Meredith

2016-06-02

A novel staffing model integrating peer support workers and clinical staff within a unified team is being trialled at community based residential rehabilitation units in Australia. A mixed-methods protocol for the longitudinal evaluation of the outcomes, expectations and experiences of care by consumers and staff under this staffing model in two units will be compared to one unit operating a traditional clinical staffing. The study is unique with regards to the context, the longitudinal approach and consideration of multiple stakeholder perspectives. The longitudinal mixed methods design integrates a quantitative evaluation of the outcomes of care for consumers at three residential rehabilitation units with an applied qualitative research methodology. The quantitative component utilizes a prospective cohort design to explore whether equivalent outcomes are achieved through engagement at residential rehabilitation units operating integrated and clinical staffing models. Comparative data will be available from the time of admission, discharge and 12-month period post-discharge from the units. Additionally, retrospective data for the 12-month period prior to admission will be utilized to consider changes in functioning pre and post engagement with residential rehabilitation care. The primary outcome will be change in psychosocial functioning, assessed using the total score on the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). Planned secondary outcomes will include changes in symptomatology, disability, recovery orientation, carer quality of life, emergency department presentations, psychiatric inpatient bed days, and psychological distress and wellbeing. Planned analyses will include: cohort description; hierarchical linear regression modelling of the predictors of change in HoNOS following CCU care; and descriptive comparisons of the costs associated with the two staffing models. The qualitative component utilizes a pragmatic approach to grounded theory, with

Development of a Smart Residential Fire Protection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juhwan Oh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Embedded system is applied for the development of smart residential fire detection and extinguishing system. Wireless communication capability is integrated into various fire sensors and alarm devices. The system activates the fire alarm to warn occupants, executes emergency and rescue calls to remote residents and fire-fighting facility in an intelligent way. The effective location of extra-sprinklers within the space of interest for the fire extinguishing system is also investigated. Actual fire test suggests that the developed wireless system for the smart residential fire protection system is reliable in terms of sensors and their communication linkage.

Estimating household fuel oil/kerosine, natural gas, and LPG prices by census region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poyer, D.A.; Teotia, A.P.S.

1994-08-01

The purpose of this research is to estimate individual fuel prices within the residential sector. The data from four US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, residential energy consumption surveys were used to estimate the models. For a number of important fuel types - fuel oil, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas - the estimation presents a problem because these fuels are not used by all households. Estimates obtained by using only data in which observed fuel prices are present would be biased. A correction for this self-selection bias is needed for estimating prices of these fuels. A literature search identified no past studies on application of the selectivity model for estimating prices of residential fuel oil/kerosine, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas. This report describes selectivity models that utilize the Dubin/McFadden correction method for estimating prices of residential fuel oil/kerosine, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West census regions. Statistically significant explanatory variables are identified and discussed in each of the models. This new application of the selectivity model should be of interest to energy policy makers, researchers, and academicians

Coordinated Demand Response and Distributed Generation Management in Residential Smart Microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad; Mokhtari, Ghassem; Guerrero, Josep M.

2016-01-01

potentials to increase the functionality of a typical demand-side management (DSM) strategy, and typical implementation of building-level DERs by integrating them into a cohesive, networked package that fully utilizes smart energy-efficient end-use devices, advanced building control/automation systems......Nowadays with the emerging of small-scale integrated energy systems (IESs) in form of residential smart microgrids (SMGs), a large portion of energy can be saved through coordinated scheduling of smart household devices and management of distributed energy resources (DERs). There are significant......, and an integrated communications architecture to efficiently manage energy and comfort at the end-use location. By the aid of such technologies, residential consumers have also the capability to mitigate their energy costs and satisfy their own requirements paying less attention to the configuration of the energy...

Volatile organic compounds in a residential and commercial urban area with a diesel, compressed natural gas and oxygenated gasoline vehicular fleet.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Eduardo Monteiro; Arbilla, Graciela; Gatti, Luciana Vanni

2010-02-01

Air samples were collected in a typical residential and commercial area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where buses and trucks use diesel and light duty vehicles use compressed natural gas, ethanol, and gasohol (gasoline blended with ethanol) as fuel. A total of 66 C3-C12 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified. The most abundant compounds, on a mass concentration basis, included propane, isobutane, i-pentane, m,p-xylene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, toluene, styrene, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, o-xylene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. Two VOCs photochemical reactivity rankings are presented: one involves reaction with OH and the other involves production of ozone.

Gender Differences in the Effect of Residential Segregation on Workplace Segregation among Newly Arrived Immigrants

OpenAIRE

Tammaru, Tiit; Strömgren, Magnus; van Ham, Maarten; Danzer, Alexander M.

2015-01-01

Contemporary cities are becoming more and more diverse in population as a result of immigration. Research also shows that within cities residential neighborhoods are becoming ethnically more diverse, but that residential segregation has remained persistently high. High levels of segregation are often seen as negative, preventing integration of immigrants in their host society and having a negative impact on people's lives. Segregation research often focuses on residential neighborhoods, but i...

Integrated approach to gas accumulation identification in Field M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malyshevskaya, K; Rukavishnikov, V; Belozerov, B; Podnebesnikh, A

2015-01-01

The given paper describes how the integration of different methods, such as core data, well logs, production logging, seismic data and well test analysis, was used to solve the problem of determining gas accumulation boundaries in sediment complex PK1-3 of Field M. This paper is devoted to the block with wells 2, 36, 49, 85, 127, 148 of the field, since it is characterized by high uncertainty, sc. recently drilled wells 1V, 2V and 120 have produced oil, although according to the present-day geological concept they were considered to be gas saturated in the intervals investigated with production logging. Besides, well 127 that was presumably oil saturated has produced gas. By accounting mismatching production data and the geological concept, the authors have supposed that PK1-3 gas accumulation is characterized by a more complex structure than it was supposed by the predecessors and it is represented by reservoir compartmentalization and high heterogeneity. Therefore, the main goal of the work was to revise the distribution of gas saturated reservoir within the PK1-3 sediment complex. To achieve this goal, the authors have set the following tasks: to revise the geological correlation and gas oil contact; to carry out fault interpretation by means of seismic and well test data; to determine areal facies distribution on the basis of integrated core, perform a log motifs and seismic facies analysis. Thus, the estimation of the gas saturated reservoir portion was implemented in two stages: defining the boundary of gas accumulation in depth on the basis of well logs, production data and fault interpretation; reservoir distribution determination on the basis of the seismic facies analysis within the derived gas accumulation boundary

The gas industry in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jego, H.

2000-01-01

Though oil is the most widely used primary energy in Japan, its market share is decreasing steadily in favour of other energies such as natural gas. Around 80 % of the gas consumed in Japan is imported in the form of LNG, with locally produced natural gas accounting for 5 % and LPG 12%. Annual LNG supplies now total 48 million tons (720 TWh) and are forecast to rise to 57 million tons over the next ten years. However, only on third of the total volume of LNG, i.e., 242 TWh, is distributed to final consumers. The rest is imported directly by power companies to produce electricity. The 245 gas distribution companies, 70 in the public sector and 175 in the private sector (including three large firms: Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas and Toho Gas) carry the gas through their own non-interconnected networks to around 25 million customers, though the gas supply area covers only 5 % of the country. This small percentage can be explained partly by Japan's topography: 80 % of the land is covered by mountains. This means that only 20 % of the country is suitable for industrial and residential development. Populations living outside the gas supply areas mainly use LPG. The number of LPG customers totals around 25 million, a similar number to those using mains gas. However, the share of mains gas is increasing each year due to the population increase in urban zones. Though gas represents only 11 % of the energy consumed in Japan, it is nevertheless present on practically all markets and holds the leading position for domestic hot water and cooking in the residential sector. However, for heating, it lags well behind oil. In industry, mains gas covers only 5% of energy needs. However, with the expansion of the pipeline network and market liberalization, the share of gas is set to increase. The price of gas for the residential sector is 2 to 3 times higher than in western countries. This can be attributed to the following factors: most natural gas is imported LNG; unit consumption in the

Influence of India’s transformation on residential energy demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, Subhes C.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The middle income group emerges as the dominant segment by 2030. • Commercial residential energy demand increases 3–4 folds compared to 2010. • Electricity and LPG demand grows above 6% per year in the reference scenario. • India faces the potential of displacing the domination of biomass by 2030. - Abstract: India’s recent macro-economic and structural changes are transforming the economy and bringing significant changes to energy demand behaviour. Life-style and consumption behaviour are evolving rapidly due to accelerated economic growth in recent times. The population structure is changing, thereby offering the country with the potential to reap the population dividend. The country is also urbanising rapidly, and the fast-growing middle class segment of the population is fuelling consumerism by mimicking international life-styles. These changes are likely to have significant implications for energy demand in the future, particularly in the residential sector. Using the end-use approach of demand analysis, this paper analyses how residential energy demand is likely to evolve as a consequence of India’s transformation and finds that by 2030, India’s commercial energy demand in the residential sector can quadruple in the high scenario compared to the demand in 2010. Demand for modern fuels like electricity and liquefied petroleum gas is likely to grow at a faster rate. However, there is a window of opportunity to better manage the evolution of residential demand in India through energy efficiency improvement

Strategies for Low Carbon Growth In India: Industry and Non Residential Sectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sathaye, Jayant; de la Rue du Can, Stephane; Iyer, Maithili; McNeil, Michael; Kramer, Klaas Jan; Roy, Joyashree; Roy, Moumita; Chowdhury, Shreya Roy

2011-04-15

This report analyzed the potential for increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the non-residential building and the industrial sectors in India. The first two sections describe the research and analysis supporting the establishment of baseline energy consumption using a bottom up approach for the non residential sector and for the industry sector respectively. The third section covers the explanation of a modeling framework where GHG emissions are projected according to a baseline scenario and alternative scenarios that account for the implementation of cleaner technology.

Approaching the millennium - strategies for the gas buyers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holder, J.; Kelton, F.

1998-01-01

An overview of what is in store for gas purchasing in Ontario's new deregulated market was presented. Basically, responsibilities will shift from the utility to market players. The impact of this shift on marketers, on end-users and on the utility were assessed. In the new millennium, Consumers Gas, which is Canada's largest and oldest natural gas distributor, will be operating under a new name, Enbridge. The company will focus on developing marketing programs to position natural gas as the number one fuel choice for residential, commercial, apartments, vehicles, cogeneration and industrial markets. The evolution of the 200 customer market model( i.e. large volume customers, gas marketers, commercial customers and residential customers as a group), what each of these groups want from Enbridge, and what Enbridge can deliver as the wholesale provider of natural gas delivery services rounded out the discussion. figs

Vertical integration in the natural gas market. An industrial economic consideration; Vertikale Integration im Erdgasmarkt. Eine industrieoekonomische Betrachtung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schumacher, Thomas

2011-07-01

The author of the book under consideration analyzes the effects of vertical integration in the German natural gas market. The impact of these effects on the current and future competition in the natural gas market is analysed. In particular, the corporate connections between natural gas producers and natural gas suppliers have to be considered energy-politically critical.

Electricity/natural gas competition in Quebec

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, J.-T.

1992-01-01

The evolution of energy market shares (electricity, natural gas and oil products) in Quebec's residential and commercial sectors in the 1980s shows that energy source relative prices have influenced consumer behavior as expected. A set of comparisons from space and water heating markets in these sectors with regard to prices paid by consumers and costs incurred by society in general is presented. For the residential sector, it is seen that consumers pay only a fraction of the cost for electric space and water heating; the same service could be provided at smaller cost by natural gas. For the commercial sector, the electricity and natural gas tariffs convey the appropriate message with respect to the cost incurred in providing the service. 6 refs., 7 tabs

Integration of a wood pellet burner and a Stirling engine to produce residential heat and power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardozo, Evelyn; Erlich, Catharina; Malmquist, Anders; Alejo, Lucio

2014-01-01

The integration a Stirling engine with a pellet burner is a promising alternative to produce heat and power for residential use. In this context, this study is focused on the experimental evaluation of the integration of a 20 kW th wood pellet burner and a 1 kW e Stirling engine. The thermal power not absorbed by the engine is used to produce hot water. The evaluation highlights the effects of pellet type, combustion chamber length and cycling operation on the Stirling engine temperatures and thermal power absorbed. The results show that the position of the Stirling engine is highly relevant in order to utilize as much as possible of the radiative heat from the burner. Within this study, only a 5 cm distance change between the Stirling engine and the pellet burner could result in an increase of almost 100 °C in the hot side of the engine. However, at a larger distance, the temperature of the hot side is almost unchanged suggesting dominating convective heat transfer from the hot flue gas. Ash accumulation decreases the temperature of the hot side of the engine after some cycles of operation when a commercial pellet burner is integrated. The temperature ratio, which is the relation between the minimum and maximum temperatures of the engine, decreases when using Ø8 mm wood pellets in comparison to Ø6 mm pellets due to higher measured temperatures on the hot side of the engine. Therefore, the amount of heat supplied to the engine is increased for Ø8 mm wood pellets. The effectiveness of the engine regenerator is increased at higher pressures. The relation between temperature of the hot side end and thermal power absorbed by the Stirling engine is nearly linear between 500 °C and 660 °C. Higher pressure inside the Stirling engine has a positive effect on the thermal power output. Both the chemical and thermal losses increase somewhat when integrating a Stirling engine in comparison to a stand-alone boiler for only heat production. The overall efficiency

Problems in the wellbore integrity of a shale gas horizontal well and corresponding countermeasures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhonglan Tian

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the Changning–Weiyuan national shale gas demonstration area, SW Sichuan Basin, the wellbore integrity damage occurs in some shale gas wells and has direct effect on the gas production rate of single shale gas horizontal well. After statistics analysis was performed on the problems related with wellbore integrity, such as casing damage, casing running difficulty and cement sheath blow-by, the multi-factor coupling casing stress calculation and evaluation mode laws established. Then study was conducted on the influential mechanism of multi-factor coupling (temperature effect, casing bending and axial pressure on casing damage. The shale slip mechanism and its relationship with casing sheared formation were analyzed by using the Mohr–Coulomb criterion. Inversion analysis was performed on the main controlling factors of casing friction by using the developed casing hook load prediction and friction analysis software. And finally, based on the characteristics of shale gas horizontal wells, wellbore integrity control measures were proposed in terms of design and construction process, so as to improve the drilling quality (DQ. More specifically, shale gas well casing design calculation method and check standard were modified, well structure and full bore hole trajectory design were optimized, drilling quality was improved, cement properties were optimized and cement sealing integrity during fracturing process was checked. These research findings are significant in the design and management of future shale gas borehole integrity.

Integrated natural gas-electricity resource adequacy planning in Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammons, T.J.; Barroso, L.A.; Rudnick, H.

2010-01-01

Latin America is among the most dynamic regions for natural gas and electricity development. This paper discussed natural gas-electricity resource adequacy planning for Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. The perspectives for creating an integrated market in the Southern Cone of Latin America were also presented. The continent has abundant natural gas reserves and high-growth energy markets. Many countries are promoting the use of natural gas for power generation in an effort to diversify away from heavy investments in hydropower and costly oil. These measures have created competition between hydro- and thermal generation, the breaking of cross-country natural gas agreements, as well as competition between natural gas and other resources for power generation and transmission.

The value of residential photovoltaic systems: A comprehensive assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Borden, C. S.

1983-01-01

Utility-interactive photovoltaic (PV) arrays on residential rooftops appear to be a potentially attractive, large-scale application of PV technology. Results of a comprehensive assessment of the value (i.e., break-even cost) of utility-grid connected residential photovoltaic power systems under a variety of technological and economic assumptions are presented. A wide range of allowable PV system costs are calculated for small (4.34 kW (p) sub ac) residential PV systems in various locales across the United States. Primary factor in this variation are differences in local weather conditions, utility-specific electric generation capacity, fuel types, and customer-load profiles that effect purchase and sell-back rates, and non-uniform state tax considerations. Additional results from this analysis are: locations having the highest insolation values are not necessary the most economically attractive sites; residential PV systems connected in parallel to the utility demonstrate high percentages of energy sold back to the grid, and owner financial and tax assumptions cause large variations in break-even costs. Significant cost reduction and aggressive resolution of potential institutional impediments (e.g., liability, standards, metering, and technical integration) are required for a residential PV marker to become a major electric-grid-connected energy-generation source.

49 CFR 571.303 - Standard No. 303; Fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... compressed natural gas vehicles. 571.303 Section 571.303 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles. S1. Scope. This standard specifies requirements for the integrity of motor vehicle fuel systems using compressed natural gas (CNG), including the CNG fuel...

Modular Energy Management System Applicable to Residential Microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hernández, Adriana Carolina Luna; Aldana, Nelson Leonardo Diaz; Graells, Moises

2016-01-01

In this paper, an energy management system is defined as a flexible architecture. This proposal can be applied to home and residential areas when they include generation units. The system has been integrated and tested in a grid-connected microgrid prototype, where optimal power generation profiles...

Independents in European Gas Markets after liberalisation - downstream integration of upstream oil and gas companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eikeland, Per Ove

2005-01-01

A central objective of gas market liberalisation in Europe in the 1990s was to increase competition by opening end-use markets for independent suppliers. Upstream oil and gas companies in Europe reacted to this opportunity by announcing strategies to integrate forward in European gas markets. By late 2004, however, upstream companies still recorded generally weak downstream strategy implementation in Europe. The article concludes that this general implementation gap should be explained by political failure in EU member states to abolish gas market barriers to entry for independents. Variation between companies in degree of implementation should be explained by variation in conditions in the companies' home markets / wider business spheres and internal company factors. (Author)

Regionalised tertiary psychiatric residential facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesage, Alain; Groden, David; Goldner, Elliot M; Gelinas, Daniel; Arnold, Leslie M

2008-01-01

Psychiatric hospitals remain the main venue for long-term mental health care and, despite widespread closures and downsizing, no country that built asylums in the last century has done away with them entirely--with the recent exception of Italy. Differentiated community-based residential alternatives have been developed over the past decades, with staffing levels that range from full-time professional, to daytime only, to part-time/on-call. This paper reviews the characteristics of community-based psychiatric residential care facilities as an alternative to long-term care in psychiatric hospitals. It describes five factors decision makers should consider: 1. number of residential places needed; 2. staffing levels; 3. physical setting; 4. programming; and 5. governance and financing. In Italy, facilities with full-time professional staff have been developed since the mid-1990s to accommodate the last cohorts of patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals. In the United Kingdom, experiments with hostel wards since the 1980s have shown that home-like, small-scale facilities with intensive treatment and rehabilitation programming can be effective for the most difficult-to-place patients. More recently in Australia, Community Care Units (CCUs) have been applying this concept. In the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), Tertiary Psychiatric Residential Facilities (TPRFs) have been developed as part of an effort to regionalise health and social services and downsize and ultimately close its only psychiatric hospital. This type of service must be further developed in addition to the need for forensic, acute-care and intermediate-level beds, as well as for community-based care such as assertive community treatment and intensive case management. All these types of services, together with long-term community-based residential care, constitute the elements of a balanced mental health care system. As part of a region's balanced mental health care plan, these Tertiary

Dynamic Optimal Energy Flow in the Integrated Natural Gas and Electrical Power Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fang, Jiakun; Zeng, Qing; Ai, Xiaomeng

2018-01-01

. Simulation on the test case illustrates the success of the modelling and the beneficial roles of the power-to-gas are analyzed. The proposed model can be used in the decision support for both planning and operation of the coordinated natural gas and electrical power systems.......This work focuses on the optimal operation of the integrated gas and electrical power system with bi-directional energy conversion. Considering the different response times of the gas and power systems, the transient gas flow and steady- state power flow are combined to formulate the dynamic...... optimal energy flow in the integrated gas and power systems. With proper assumptions and simplifications, the problem is transformed into a single stage linear programming. And only a single stage linear programming is needed to obtain the optimal operation strategy for both gas and power systems...

Almacenamiento de gas natural

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomás Correa

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The largest reserves of natural gas worldwide are found in regions far of main cities, being necessary different alternatives to transport the fluid to the consumption cities, such as pipelines, CNG or ships, LNG, depending on distances between producing regions and demanding regions and the producing volumes. Consumption regions have three different markets to naturalgas; residential and commercial, industrial and power generation sector. The residential and commercial is highly seasonal and power generation sector is quite variable depending on increases of temperature during summer time. There are also external issuesthat affect the normal gas flow such as fails on the national system or unexpected interruptions on it, what imply that companies which distribute natural gas should design plans that allow supplying the requirements above mentioned. One plan is using underground natural gas storage with capacities and deliverability rates enough to supply demands. In Colombia there are no laws in this sense but it could be an exploration to discuss different ways to store gas either way as underground natural gas storage or above superficies. Existing basically three different types of underground natural gas storage; depleted reservoirs, salt caverns and aquifers. All ofthem are adequate according to geological characteristics and the needs of the distributors companies of natural gas. This paper is anexploration of technical and economical characteristics of different kind of storages used to store natural gas worldwide.

An integrated photosensor readout for gas proportional scintillation counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopes, J.A.M.; Santos, J.M.F. dos; Conde, C.A.N.

1996-01-01

A xenon gas proportional scintillation counter has been instrumented with a novel photosensor that replaces the photomultiplier tube normally used to detect the VUV secondary scintillation light. In this implementation, the collection grid of a planar gas proportional scintillation counter also functions as a multiwire proportional chamber to amplify and detect the photoelectrons emitted by a reflective CsI photocathode in direct contact with the xenon gas. This integrated concept combines greater simplicity, compactness, and ruggedness (no optical window is used) with low power consumption. An energy resolution of 12% was obtained for 59.6 keV x-rays

The integration of gas and electricity: potential effects on competition in markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Milla, J.

2007-01-01

During the last years, an increasing number of gas and electricity companies have integrated their activities in both sectors. Following this trend, several Mergers and Acquisitions between gas and electricity companies have emerged, and some of them have been cross-borders operations that have given rise to multinational enterprises. This paper analyses the causes of the integration of gas and electricity activities, and examines its implications on regulation and competition policy, showing that these changes in the energy industry raise new challenges and compel to adopt new measures in that field of the economic policy. (Author) 25 refs

The challenges of the implementation of regulation AGERBA for residential natural gas distribution in the state of Bahia, Brazil; Os desafios da implantacao do regulamento AGERBA (Agencia Estadual de Regulacao de Servicos Publicos de Energia, Transportes e Comunicacoes da Bahia) para o gas natural residencial no estado da Bahia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sousa, Eduardo F. de [Bahiagas, Salvador, BA (Brazil)

2008-07-01

In recent years, important structural and institutional transformations are observed, for consequence the questions on the energy industries had started to incorporate, the regulation problems. Thus, the simple creation of new regulating agencies does not assure the automatic fulfilment of the functions of public interest. In this new context, these tasks are much more complex, demanding a learning process: how much to the structures of market and how much to the strategical behavior of the companies. In the local scene, to consolidate the distribution of the natural gas for the residential segment is one of the challenges of the Bahiagas, mainly after the publication of the Resolution that will go to establish the General Conditions of Gas Supply Canalized in the Residential Classroom in the State of the Bahia (hearing publishes carried through N. 002/2006 in June/2006). In this context, it is important to deeply understand the Resolution, that consequently will go to print a new dynamics for the Bahiagas. (author)

Design and optimization of zero-energy-consumption based solar energy residential building systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, D. L.; Yu, L. J.; Tan, H. W.

2017-11-01

Energy consumption of residential buildings has grown fast in recent years, thus raising a challenge on zero energy residential building (ZERB) systems, which aim at substantially reducing energy consumption of residential buildings. Thus, how to facilitate ZERB has become a hot but difficult topic. In the paper, we put forward the overall design principle of ZERB based on analysis of the systems’ energy demand. In particular, the architecture for both schematic design and passive technology is optimized and both energy simulation analysis and energy balancing analysis are implemented, followed by committing the selection of high-efficiency appliance and renewable energy sources for ZERB residential building. In addition, Chinese classical residential building has been investigated in the proposed case, in which several critical aspects such as building optimization, passive design, PV panel and HVAC system integrated with solar water heater, Phase change materials, natural ventilation, etc., have been taken into consideration.

Statistical evaluation of Pacific Northwest Residential Energy Consumption Survey weather data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tawil, J.J.

1986-02-01

This report addresses an issue relating to energy consumption and conservation in the residential sector. BPA has obtained two meteorological data bases for use with its 1983 Pacific Northwest Residential Energy Survey (PNWRES). One data base consists of temperature data from weather stations; these have been aggregated to form a second data base that covers the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climatic divisions. At BPA's request, Pacific Northwest Laboratory has produced a household energy use model for both electricity and natural gas in order to determine whether the statistically estimated parameters of the model significantly differ when the two different meteorological data bases are used.

Greenhouse gas emissions from integrated urban drainage systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mannina, Giorgio; Butler, David; Benedetti, Lorenzo

2018-01-01

As sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, integrated urban drainage systems (IUDSs) (i.e., sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants and receiving water bodies) contribute to climate change. This paper, produced by the International Working Group on Data and Models, which works under the IWA...

Influence of oil and gas emissions on ambient atmospheric non-methane hydrocarbons in residential areas of Northeastern Colorado

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chelsea R. Thompson

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The Northern Front Range (NFR region of Colorado has experienced rapid expansion of oil and gas extraction from shale and tight sands reservoirs in recent years due to advances in hydraulic fracturing technology, with over 25,000 wells currently in operation. This region has also been designated as a federal ozone non-attainment area by the U.S. EPA. High ozone levels are a significant health concern, as are potential health impacts from chronic exposure to primary emissions of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC for residents living near wells. From measurements of ambient atmospheric NMHC present in residential areas located in close proximity to wells in Erie, Colorado, we find that mean mole fractions of the C2–C5 alkanes are enhanced by a factor of 18–77 relative to the regional background, and present at higher levels than typically found in large urban centers. When combined with NMHC observations from downtown Denver and Platteville, it is apparent that these compounds are elevated across the NFR, with highest levels within the Greater Wattenberg Gas Field. This represents a large area source for ozone precursors in the NFR. The BTEX aromatic compounds in Erie were comparable to (e.g., benzene or lower than (e.g., toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene in large urban centers, however, benzene was significantly higher in Platteville, and within the range of chronic health-based exposure levels. An initial look at comparisons with data sets from previous years reveal that ambient levels for oil and gas-related NMHC in Erie, as well as further downwind in Boulder, have not decreased, but appear to have been increasing, despite tightening of emissions standards for the oil and gas industries in 2008.

MICRO-CHP System for Residential Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joseph Gerstmann

2009-01-31

This is the final report of progress under Phase I of a project to develop and commercialize a micro-CHP system for residential applications that provides electrical power, heating, and cooling for the home. This is the first phase of a three-phase effort in which the residential micro-CHP system will be designed (Phase I), developed and tested in the laboratory (Phase II); and further developed and field tested (Phase III). The project team consists of Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc. (AMTI), responsible for system design and integration; Marathon Engine Systems, Inc. (MES), responsible for design of the engine-generator subsystem; AO Smith, responsible for design of the thermal storage and water heating subsystems; Trane, a business of American Standard Companies, responsible for design of the HVAC subsystem; and AirXchange, Inc., responsible for design of the mechanical ventilation and dehumidification subsystem.

Risk and integrity management system for PETRONAS Gas Berhad's gas and liquid hydrocarbon pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khalid, Tuan Hj. Ahmad Nadzri bin; Nasir, Osman; Napiah, Mohd Nazmi Mohd Ali [PETRONAS Gas Berhad, Johor (Malaysia); Choong, Evelyn

2005-07-01

PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB), Malaysia currently operates one of Southeast Asia's largest onshore pipeline systems comprising more than 2,500 km of large diameter high pressure gas and liquid transmission, supply and lateral pipelines. Recognizing the value of a risk based approach to pipeline integrity management program, in 2002 PGB implemented a customized and fully integrated Risk and Integrity Management System (RIMS) which included software modules for: data management; semi-quantitative risk assessment; risk control cost benefit analyses; defect assessment; corrosion growth modeling; and reporting. As part of this project, a benchmarking study performed jointly with the contractor, PGB's pipeline integrity programs were also compared with a broad group of international pipeline operators. This study compared the relative ranking position of PGB pre- and post implementation of RIMS. It demonstrated that implementation of RIMS places PGB in a select group of first quartile international pipeline operators, with respect to the implementation of pipeline integrity management best practice. This paper describes the functionalities of RIMS system and how it has benefited PGB, which have been realized to date from its implementation. (author)

Volatile organic compounds in emissions from brown-coal-fired residential stoves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engewald, W.; Knobloch, T.; Efer, J.

1993-01-01

Volatile organic compounds were determined in stack-gas emissions from the residential burning of brown-coal briquets using adsorptive enrichment on hydrophobic adsorbents, thermal desorption and capillary-gas chromatographic analysis. 152 compounds were identified and quantified. Quantitative emission factors of the identified individual compounds were determined in relation to the amount of the fuel used. These factors permit assessment of the pollution of the city of Leipzig with volatile organic compounds resulting from the burning of indigenous lignite. (orig.) [de

Canadian energy standards : residential energy code requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, K. [SAR Engineering Ltd., Burnaby, BC (Canada)

2006-09-15

A survey of residential energy code requirements was discussed. New housing is approximately 13 per cent more efficient than housing built 15 years ago, and more stringent energy efficiency requirements in building codes have contributed to decreased energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, a survey of residential energy codes across Canada has determined that explicit demands for energy efficiency are currently only present in British Columbia (BC), Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. The survey evaluated more than 4300 single-detached homes built between 2000 and 2005 using data from the EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) database. House area, volume, airtightness and construction characteristics were reviewed to create archetypes for 8 geographic areas. The survey indicated that in Quebec and the Maritimes, 90 per cent of houses comply with ventilation system requirements of the National Building Code, while compliance in the rest of Canada is much lower. Heat recovery ventilation use is predominant in the Atlantic provinces. Direct-vent or condensing furnaces constitute the majority of installed systems in provinces where natural gas is the primary space heating fuel. Details of Insulation levels for walls, double-glazed windows, and building code insulation standards were also reviewed. It was concluded that if R-2000 levels of energy efficiency were applied, total average energy consumption would be reduced by 36 per cent in Canada. 2 tabs.

Probabilistic Steady-State Operation and Interaction Analysis of Integrated Electricity, Gas and Heating Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lun Yang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The existing studies on probabilistic steady-state analysis of integrated energy systems (IES are limited to integrated electricity and gas networks or integrated electricity and heating networks. This paper proposes a probabilistic steady-state analysis of integrated electricity, gas and heating networks (EGH-IES. Four typical operation modes of an EGH-IES are presented at first. The probabilistic energy flow problem of the EGS-IES considering its operation modes and correlated uncertainties in wind/solar power and electricity/gas/heat loads is then formulated and solved by the Monte Carlo method based on Latin hypercube sampling and Nataf transformation. Numerical simulations are conducted on a sample EGH-IES working in the “electricity/gas following heat” mode to verify the probabilistic analysis proposed in this paper and to study the effects of uncertainties and correlations on the operation of the EGH-IES, especially uncertainty transmissions among the subnetworks.

The Role of Integrated Gas Compounds in Regulation of Gas Homeostasis in the Norm

OpenAIRE

Alexander G. Kruglov; Valery N. Utkin; Alexander Yu. Vasilyev

2017-01-01

In practically healthy people on the background of self-breathing, we used catheterization to obtain blood samples from Ao, PT, SC, VJI, SS, VH and VR. We believe that the standard tests of blood gases by volume (pO2 and pCO2) and their A-V gradients, quantitatively determined, are insufficient to fully assess the hypoxic states both in the whole organism and in individual organs. To estimate gas homeokinesis, we performed integral gas tests, including an additive criterion of blood gases—pr...

Investigation of natural gas theft by magnetic remanence mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobó, Zsolt; Kovács, Helga; Tóth, Pál; Palotás, Árpád B

2014-12-01

Natural gas theft causes major losses in the energy industry in Hungary. Among the non-technical losses occurring in natural gas networks, fraudulent residential consumption is one of the main factors. Up to 2014, gas meters that are most widely used in residential monitoring are manufactured with ferromagnetic moving components, which makes it possible to alter or disrupt the operation of the meters non-intrusively by placing permanent magnets on the casing of the meters. Magnetic remanence mapping was used to investigate a sample of 80 recalled residential meters and detect potentially fraudulent activity. 10% of the meters were found suspect by magnetic remanence measurement, of which 50% were confirmed to be potentially hijacked by further mechanical investigation. The details of the technique are described in this paper, along with experimental results and the discussion of the analysis of the real-world samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gas explosion in domestic buildings. The vented gas explosion[sub][/sub

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeusz Chyży

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the basic information, related to the so-called vented gas explosion, has been presented. The vented explosion it is an explosion, during which the destruction of the weakest elements of the structure occurs. Through the resulting holes (decompressing surfaces can flow both combustion products and non-burned gas mixture. In consequence, reduction of the maximum explosion pressure[i] P[sub]red [/sub][/i] may be significant. Often, a gas explosion occurs inside residential buildings. In this case, natural vents are window and door openings.[b]Keywords[/b]: gas, explosion, combustion, explosion vents

Optimization of the integrated gas balance planning with PLANGAS; Planejamento integrado e otimizado da movimentacao do gas utilizando o PLANGAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iamashita, Edson K.; Iachan, Roberto; Justiniano, Luiz R.S.; Silva, Nelson de M. da; Chaves, Jose R. da C. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

In this paper we propose to explain PLANGAS system, developed by PETROBRAS in order to subsidize the natural gas balance integrated planning of Campos Basin. This system performs the natural gas balance forecasting of a complex pipeline network, with a great deal of platforms, and wide operation possibilities correlated to the large number of variables. The production increasing, equipment process, compressors and pipeline capacity, and even gas price variation are examples considered in gas balance planning. The PLANGAS uses an optimizing mathematical model with linear programming and a database that optimizes the integrated gas balance forecasting, maximizing earnings, considering all the network restrictions. PLANGAS has been in use since 1999, and in 2003, was improved with new advances. This improvement reduced the simulation time providing opportunity to a better result analysis, as well as, higher quality plans. (author)

Integrated approach to natural gas utilization in the Asia Pacific region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hovdestad, W.R.; Egbogah, E.O.

1995-01-01

The rapidly expanding economies in the Pacific Rim have placed increasing demands upon indigenous natural gas supplies in South East Asia and Australia. Competing demands include exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), domestic consumption, and potential use for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to extend the useful life of maturing oil fields. An additional competing demand for gas exports may emerge as the interstate pipeline grid is expanded. An integrated approach incorporating the evolving nature of gas demands and discrete physical supplies would provide a means to mitigate against potential mismatching of supply and demand. The consideration of the evolving nature of gas demands could promote economically beneficial changes to gas field development. The development of high carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) content gas fields has been slowed by the lack of a market for CO 2 . Utilization of by-product CO 2 for EOR could improve development economics, thus facilitating earlier development of gas supplies to satisfy gas demands including domestic use and LNG exports. End users would also benefit from the assurance that gas supplies would become available as needed. The maturity and increasingly complex natural gas industry in the Asia Pacific Region has led to a qualitative change. The model of single projects to satisfy single markets is no longer valid. The current environment is more dynamic, creating the need to anticipate changes to market demands and to find value-added markets for by-products. The integrated approach to gas utilization discussed in this paper presents a new model more appropriate to the gas industry existing today in the Asia Pacific Region. This approach is particularly significant to widely discussed proposals for an Asia Pacific energy grid extending to Australia

Citizen Science as a Tool for Conservation in Residential Ecosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caren B. Cooper

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Human activities, such as mining, forestry, and agriculture, strongly influence processes in natural systems. Because conservation has focused on managing and protecting wildlands, research has focused on understanding the indirect influence of these human activities on wildlands. Although a conservation focus on wildlands is critically important, the concept of residential area as an ecosystem is relatively new, and little is known about the potential of such areas to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. As urban sprawl increases, it becomes urgent to construct a method to research and improve the impacts of management strategies for residential landscapes. If the cumulative activities of individual property owners could help conserve biodiversity, then residential matrix management could become a critical piece of the conservation puzzle. "Citizen science" is a method of integrating public outreach and scientific data collection locally, regionally, and across large geographic scales. By involving citizen participants directly in monitoring and active management of residential lands, citizen science can generate powerful matrix management efforts, defying the "tyranny of small decisions" and leading to positive, cumulative, and measurable impacts on biodiversity.

Residential Mechanical Precooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

German, Alea [Davis Energy Group, Davis, CA (United States). Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI); Hoeschele, Marc [Davis Energy Group, Davis, CA (United States). Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI)

2014-12-01

Residential air conditioning (AC) represents a challenging load for many electric utilities with poor load factors. Mechanical precooling improves the load factor by shifting cooling operation from on-peak to off-peak hours. This provides benefits to utilities and the electricity grid, as well as to occupants who can take advantage of time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates. Performance benefits stem from reduced compressor cycling, and shifting condensing unit operation to earlier periods of the day when outdoor temperatures are more favorable to operational efficiency. Finding solutions that save energy and reduce demand on the electricity grid is an important national objective and supports key Building America goals. The Alliance for Residential Building Innovation team evaluated mechanical AC precooling strategies in homes throughout the United States. EnergyPlus modeling was used to evaluate two homes with different performance characteristics in seven climates. Results are applicable to new construction homes and most existing homes built in the last 10 years, as well as fairly efficient retrofitted homes. A successful off-peak AC strategy offers the potential for increased efficiency and improved occupant comfort, and promotes a more reliable and robust electricity grid. Demand response capabilities and further integration with photovoltaic TOU generation patterns provide additional opportunities to flatten loads and optimize grid impacts.

Well Integrity for Natural Gas Storage in Depleted Reservoirs and Aquifers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freifeld, Barry M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Oldenburg, Curtis M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Jordan, Preston [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Pan, Lehua [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Perfect, Scott [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Morris, Joseph [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); White, Joshua [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Bauer, Stephen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Blankenship, Douglas [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Roberts, Barry [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bromhal, Grant [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Glosser, Deborah [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Wyatt, Douglas [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Rose, Kelly [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)

2016-09-02

Introduction Motivation The 2015-2016 Aliso Canyon/Porter Ranch natural gas well blowout emitted approximately 100,000 tonnes of natural gas (mostly methane, CH₄) over four months. The blowout impacted thousands of nearby residents, who were displaced from their homes. The high visibility of the event has led to increased scrutiny of the safety of natural gas storage at the Aliso Canyon facility, as well as broader concern for natural gas storage integrity throughout the country. Federal Review of Well Integrity In April of 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), announced the formation of a new Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety. The Task Force enlisted a group of scientists and engineers at the DOE National Laboratories to review the state of well integrity in natural gas storage in the U.S. The overarching objective of the review is to gather, analyze, catalogue, and disseminate information and findings that can lead to improved natural gas storage safety and security and thus reduce the risk of future events. The “Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016’’ or the ‘‘PIPES Act of 2016,’’which was signed into law on June 22, 2016, created an Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Leak Task Force led by the Secretary of Energy and consisting of representatives from the DOT, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Department of Commerce and the Department of Interior. The Task Force was asked to perform an analysis of the Aliso Canyon event and make recommendations on preventing similar incidents in the future. The PIPES Act also required that DOT/PHMSA promulgate minimum safety standards for underground storage that would take effect within two years. Background on the DOE

Guidelines for residential commissioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wray, Craig P.; Walker, Iain S.; Sherman, Max H.

2003-01-31

Currently, houses do not perform optimally or even as many codes and forecasts predict, largely because they are field assembled and there is no consistent process to identify problems or to correct them. Residential commissioning is a solution to this problem. This guide is the culmination of a 30-month project that began in September 1999. The ultimate objective of the project is to increase the number of houses that undergo commissioning, which will improve the quality, comfort, and safety of homes for California citizens. The project goal is to lay the groundwork for a residential commissioning industry in California focused on end-use energy and non-energy issues. As such, we intend this guide to be a beginning and not an end. Our intent is that the guide will lead to the programmatic integration of commissioning with other building industry processes, which in turn will provide more value to a single site visit for people such as home energy auditors and raters, home inspectors, and building performance contractors. Project work to support the development of this guide includes: a literature review and annotated bibliography, which facilitates access to 469 documents related to residential commissioning published over the past 20 years (Wray et al. 2000), an analysis of the potential benefits one can realistically expect from commissioning new and existing California houses (Matson et al. 2002), and an assessment of 107 diagnostic tools for evaluating residential commissioning metrics (Wray et al. 2002). In this guide, we describe the issues that non-experts should consider in developing a commissioning program to achieve the benefits we have identified. We do this by providing specific recommendations about: how to structure the commissioning process, which diagnostics to use, and how to use them to commission new and existing houses. Using examples, we also demonstrate the potential benefits of applying the recommended whole-house commissioning approach to

Impact of roof integrated PV orientation on the residential electricity peak demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadineni, Suresh B.; Atallah, Fady; Boehm, Robert F.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A study to demonstrate peak load reductions at the substation. ► A new residential energy efficient community named Villa Trieste is being developed. ► The peak demand from the homes has decreased by 38% through energy efficiency. ► Orientation of roof integrated PV has less influence on the summer peak demand. ► Increasing thermostat temperature during peak by 1 °C can significantly reduce peaks. -- Abstract: Peak electricity demand has been an issue in the Desert Southwest region of the US, due to extreme summer temperatures. To address this issue, a consortium was formed between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Pulte Homes, and NV Energy. An energy efficient residential community was developed by the team in Las Vegas with approximately 200 homes to study substation-level peak reduction strategies. A summer peak reduction of more than 65%, between 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM, compared to code standard housing developments is the targeted goal of the project. Approximately 50 homes are already built and some are occupied. The energy performances of the homes have been monitored and are presented in this paper. Several peak electric load reduction strategies such as energy efficiency in buildings, roof integrated photovoltaics (PV) and direct load control have been applied. Though all the homes in the developed community are installed with 1.8 kW p PV systems, the orientation of the PV system depends on the building orientation. Focus of this paper is to find the impact of PV orientation on the peak load from a building. In addition, different time-of-use (TOU) energy pricing options are offered by the local electrical utility company. Hence it is important to find an optimal pricing option for each building. A computer model has been developed for one of the homes in the new development using building energy simulation code, ENERGY-10. Calculations on the PV orientations have shown that a south and 220° (i.e. 40° west of due south

Gas suppliers meeting market opening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verberg, G.H.B.; Jaidah, N.K.; Eriksen, R.; Alvarez Pelegry, E.

2003-01-01

Natural gas, with its environmental advantages, will increase its development in the residential, professional and transportation markets. It will ensure the transition during the progressive implementation of more sustainable energy sources. This paper discusses some possible impacts of the deregulation on the future gas market (investments, risk management, competition, contracts). It is followed by a round table about the expectations of some gas producers (Qatar, Sweden) in front of the development of the European gas market (LNG projects, financing, contracts). (J.S.)

Response of residential electricity demand to price: The effect of measurement error

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alberini, Anna [Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Maryland (United States); Centre for Energy Policy and Economics (CEPE), ETH Zurich (Switzerland); Gibson Institute and Institute for a Sustainable World, School of Biological Sciences, Queen' s University Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Filippini, Massimo, E-mail: mfilippini@ethz.ch [Centre for Energy Policy and Economics (CEPE), ETH Zurich (Switzerland); Department of Economics, University of Lugano (Switzerland)

2011-09-15

In this paper we present an empirical analysis of the residential demand for electricity using annual aggregate data at the state level for 48 US states from 1995 to 2007. Earlier literature has examined residential energy consumption at the state level using annual or monthly data, focusing on the variation in price elasticities of demand across states or regions, but has failed to recognize or address two major issues. The first is that, when fitting dynamic panel models, the lagged consumption term in the right-hand side of the demand equation is endogenous. This has resulted in potentially inconsistent estimates of the long-run price elasticity of demand. The second is that energy price is likely mismeasured. To address these issues, we estimate a dynamic partial adjustment model using the Kiviet corrected Least Square Dummy Variables (LSDV) (1995) and the Blundell-Bond (1998) estimators. We find that the long-term elasticities produced by the Blundell-Bond system GMM methods are largest, and that from the bias-corrected LSDV are greater than that from the conventional LSDV. From an energy policy point of view, the results obtained using the Blundell-Bond estimator where we instrument for price imply that a carbon tax or other price-based policy may be effective in discouraging residential electricity consumption and hence curbing greenhouse gas emissions in an electricity system mainly based on coal and gas power plants. - Research Highlights: > Updated information on price elasticities for the US energy policy. > Taking into account measurement error in the price variable increase price elasticity. > Room for discouraging residential electricity consumption using price increases.

Response of residential electricity demand to price: The effect of measurement error

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberini, Anna; Filippini, Massimo

2011-01-01

In this paper we present an empirical analysis of the residential demand for electricity using annual aggregate data at the state level for 48 US states from 1995 to 2007. Earlier literature has examined residential energy consumption at the state level using annual or monthly data, focusing on the variation in price elasticities of demand across states or regions, but has failed to recognize or address two major issues. The first is that, when fitting dynamic panel models, the lagged consumption term in the right-hand side of the demand equation is endogenous. This has resulted in potentially inconsistent estimates of the long-run price elasticity of demand. The second is that energy price is likely mismeasured. To address these issues, we estimate a dynamic partial adjustment model using the Kiviet corrected Least Square Dummy Variables (LSDV) (1995) and the Blundell-Bond (1998) estimators. We find that the long-term elasticities produced by the Blundell-Bond system GMM methods are largest, and that from the bias-corrected LSDV are greater than that from the conventional LSDV. From an energy policy point of view, the results obtained using the Blundell-Bond estimator where we instrument for price imply that a carbon tax or other price-based policy may be effective in discouraging residential electricity consumption and hence curbing greenhouse gas emissions in an electricity system mainly based on coal and gas power plants. - Research Highlights: → Updated information on price elasticities for the US energy policy. → Taking into account measurement error in the price variable increase price elasticity. → Room for discouraging residential electricity consumption using price increases.

ICT for whole life optimisation of residential buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haekkinen, T.; Vares, S.; Huovila, P.; Vesikari, E.; Porkka, J. (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (FI)); Nilsson, L.-O.; Togeroe, AA. (Lund University (SE)); Jonsson, C.; Suber, K. (Skanska Sverige AB (SE)); Andersson, R.; Larsson, R. (Cementa, Malmoe (SE)); Nuorkivi, I. (Skanska Oyj, Helsinki (FI))

2007-08-15

The research project 'ICT for whole life optimisation of residential buildings' (ICTWLORB) developed and tested the whole life design and optimisation methods for residential buildings. The objective of the ICTWLORB project was to develop and implement an ICT based tool box for integrated life cycle design of residential building. ICTWLORB was performed in cooperation with Swedish and Finnish partners. The ICTWLORB project defined as a premise that an industrialised building process is characterised by two main elements: a building concept based approach and efficient information management. Building concept based approach enables (1) the product development of the end product, (2) repetition of the basic elements of the building from one project to others and (3) customisation of the end-product considering the specific needs of the case and the client. Information management enables (1) the consideration of wide spectrum of aspects including building performance, environmental aspects, life cycle costs and service life, and (2) rapid adapting of the design to the specific requirements of the case. (orig.)

Interotex-innovative gas equipment for heating and cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winnington, T.L. [Interotex Ltd. (United Kingdom); Moore, N. [British Gas plc (United Kingdom); Valle, F.; Sanz, J. I. [Gas Natural SDG S.A. (Spain); Chavarri, J.M. [Fagor Electrodomesticos S. Coop. (Spain); Uselton, R. [Lennox Industries Inc. (United States)

1997-10-01

Conventionally, cooling technology for the residential market is provided by electrically driven vapour re-compression systems. But lately, due to the Montreal Protocol - restricting the utilisation of ozone depleting substances - and to the high peak demand in electricity, created by electrical air conditioning systems, there is a commercial opportunity for gas fired air conditioning appliances. This paper describes the development programme for a radical new absorption technology, from the theoretical studies, through the experimental programme, to the building, commissioning and installation of demonstration machines. It also includes an analysis of the world-wide residential cooling market and the opportunities available to manufacturers and gas utilities to introduce new gas heating and cooling technology, capable of competing effectively with electrical systems. (au)

The opening of electricity and gas retail markets - Assessment 2009, Assessment 2010, Assessment 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Three articles present and comment data related to the evolution of the electricity and gas retail markets after their opening in July 2007 and during respectively 2009, 2010 and 2011. This evolution is notably addressed in terms of number of residential and non-residential clients and sites, in terms of annual consumption for residential and non-residential sites, and in terms of site location in France

Time series GHG emission estimates for residential, commercial, agriculture and fisheries sectors in India

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, Riya Rachel

2018-04-01

Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are the major cause of global warming and climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main GHG emitted through human activities, at the household level, by burning fuels for cooking and lighting. As per the 2006 methodology of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the energy sector is divided into various sectors like electricity generation, transport, fugitive, 'other' sectors, etc. The 'other' sectors under energy include residential, commercial, agriculture and fisheries. Time series GHG emission estimates were prepared for the residential, commercial, agriculture and fisheries sectors in India, for the time period 2005 to 2014, to understand the historical emission changes in 'other' sector. Sectoral activity data, with respect to fuel consumption, were collected from various ministry reports like Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas Statistics, Energy Statistics, etc. The default emission factor(s) from IPCC 2006 were used to calculate the emissions for each activity and sector-wise CO2, CH4, N2O and CO2e emissions were compiled. It was observed that the residential sector generates the highest GHG emissions, followed by the agriculture/fisheries and commercial sector. In the residential sector, LPG, kerosene, and fuelwood are the major contributors of emissions, whereas diesel is the main contributor to the commercial, agriculture and fisheries sectors. CO2e emissions have been observed to rise at a cumulative annual growth rate of 0.6%, 9.11%, 7.94% and 5.26% for the residential, commercial, agriculture and fisheries sectors, respectively. In addition to the above, a comparative study of the sectoral inventories from the national inventories, published by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, for 2007 and 2010 was also performed.

Design of a DC-AC Link Converter for 500W Residential Wind Generator

OpenAIRE

Riza Muhida; Ahmad Firdaus A. Zaidi; Afzeri Tamsir; Rudi Irawan

2012-01-01

 As one of alternative sources of renewable energy, wind energy has an excellence prospect in Indonesia, particularly in coastal and hilly areas which have potential wind to generate electricity for residential uses. There is urgent need to locally develop low cost inverter of wind generator system for residential use. Recent developments in power electronic converters and embedded computing allow improvement of power electronic converter devices that enable integration of microcontrollers in...

Dynamic performance assessment of a residential building-integrated cogeneration system under different boundary conditions. Part II: Environmental and economic analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosato, Antonio; Sibilio, Sergio; Scorpio, Michelangelo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A building-integrated micro-cogeneration system was dynamically simulated. • Simulation data were analyzed from both environmental and economic point of views. • The proposed system was compared with a conventional supply system. • The proposed system reduces the environmental impact under heat-led operation. • The proposed system reduces the operating costs whatever the control logic is. - Abstract: This work examines the performance of a residential building-integrated micro-cogeneration system during the winter by means of a whole building simulation software. The cogeneration unit was coupled with a multi-family house composed of three floors, compliant with the transmittance values of both walls and windows suggested by the Italian Law; a stratified combined tank for both heating purposes and domestic hot water production was also used for storing heat. Simulations were performed considering the transient nature of the building and occupant driven loads as well as the part-load characteristics of the cogeneration unit. This system was described in detail and analyzed from an energy point of view in the companion paper. In this paper the simulation results were evaluated in terms of both carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and operating costs; detailed analyses were performed in order to estimate the influence of the most significant boundary conditions on both environmental and economic performance of the proposed system: in particular, three volumes of the hot water storage, four climatic zones corresponding to four Italian cities, two electric demand profiles, as well as two control strategies micro-cogeneration unit were considered. The assessment of environmental impact was performed by using the standard emission factors approach, neglecting the effects of local pollutants. The operating costs due to both natural gas and electric energy consumption were evaluated in detail, whereas both the capital and maintenance costs were

A Case Study in Market Transformation for Residential Energy Efficiency Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Building Technologies Office

2017-09-01

This case study describes how the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) partnered with gas and electric utilities in Iowa to establish the Iowa residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning System Adjustment and Verified Efficiency (HVAC SAVE) program, taking it to scale improving the performance and energy efficiency of HVAC systems, growing businesses, and gaining consumer trust.

Economic dispatch of a single micro-gas turbine under CHP operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rist, Johannes F.; Dias, Miguel F.; Palman, Michael; Zelazo, Daniel; Cukurel, Beni

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Economic dispatch of a micro gas turbine is considered for smart grid integration. •A detailed thermodynamic cycle analysis is conducted for variable load CHP operation. •Benefits are shown for case studies with real demand profiles and energy tariffs. •Optimal unit schedule can be electricity, heat, revenue or maintenance-cost driven. -- Abstract: This work considers the economic dispatch of a single micro-gas turbine under combined heat and power (CHP) operation. A detailed thermodynamic cycle analysis is conducted on a representative micro-gas turbine unit with non-constant component efficiencies and recuperator bypass. Based on partial and full load configurations, an accurate optimization model is developed for solving the economic dispatch problem of integrating the turbine into the grid. The financial benefit and viability of this approach is then examined on four detailed scenarios using real data on energy demand profiles and electricity tariffs. The analysis considers the optimal operation in a large hotel, a full-service restaurant, a small hotel, and a residential neighborhood during various seasons. The optimal schedule follows four fundamental economic drivers which are electricity, heat, revenue, and maintenance-cost driven.

The opening of electricity and natural gas markets to residential clients. Yearly barometer - run 4. September 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-09-01

The opening of energy markets to competition became effective to individuals ('residential clients') on July 1, 2007 with the possibility to freely choose their energy supplier. This opening of energy markets to residential clients started 3 years after the opening to professionals (July 1, 2004). The Commission of energy regulation (CRE) and the national energy Ombudsman have set in place in 2007 a quantitative yearly survey ('barometer') addressed to residential clients in order to collect statistical data about the behaviour of these clients with regards to the opening of markets to competition. This document deals with the results of the fourth run of this survey carried out from September 6 to September 18, 2010 by the LH2 institute. For the 1504 households investigated, LH2 has questioned the person in charge of the energy bills management. The barometer aimed at answering the following questions: - what is the level of knowledge and information of residential clients about markets opening and the existing regulation? - What perception of this opening do they have? (pros/cons, advantages/drawbacks); - what behaviour do they have in front of the opening of markets to competition? (approach with respect to information needs, knowledge about the offer, intention to change supplier, brakes/motivations in entering the open market). (J.S.)

The opening of electricity and natural gas markets to residential clients. Yearly barometer - run 5. September 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-09-01

The opening of energy markets to competition became effective to individuals ('residential clients') on July 1, 2007 with the possibility to freely choose their energy supplier. This opening of energy markets to residential clients started 3 years after the opening to professionals (July 1, 2004). The Commission of energy regulation (CRE) and the national energy Ombudsman have set in place in 2007 a quantitative yearly survey ('barometer') addressed to residential clients in order to collect statistical data about the behaviour of these clients with regards to the opening of markets to competition. This document deals with the results of the fourth run of this survey carried out from September 12 to September 23, 2011 by the LH2 institute. For the 1500 households investigated, LH2 has questioned the person in charge of the energy bills management. The barometer aimed at answering the following questions: - what is the level of knowledge and information of residential clients about markets opening and the existing regulation? - What perception of this opening do they have? (pros/cons, advantages/drawbacks); - what behaviour do they have in front of the opening of markets to competition? (approach with respect to information needs, knowledge about the offer, intention to change supplier, brakes/motivations in entering the open market). (J.S.)

The opening of electricity and natural gas markets to residential clients. Yearly barometer - run 3. September 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-09-01

The opening of energy markets to competition became effective to individuals ('residential clients') on July 1, 2007 with the possibility to freely choose their energy supplier. This opening of energy markets to residential clients started 3 years after the opening to professionals (July 1, 2004). The Commission of energy regulation (CRE) and the national energy Ombudsman have set in place in 2007 a quantitative yearly survey ('barometer') addressed to residential clients in order to collect statistical data about the behaviour of these clients with regards to the opening of markets to competition. This document deals with the results of the fourth run of this survey carried out in September 2009 by the LH2 institute. For the 1500 households investigated, LH2 has questioned the person in charge of the energy bills management. The barometer aimed at answering the following questions: - what is the level of knowledge and information of residential clients about markets opening and the existing regulation? - What perception of this opening do they have? (pros/cons, advantages/drawbacks); - what behaviour do they have in front of the opening of markets to competition? (approach with respect to information needs, knowledge about the offer, intention to change supplier, brakes/motivations in entering the open market). (J.S.)

The opening of electricity and natural gas markets to residential clients. Yearly barometer - run 2. December 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-12-01

The opening of energy markets to competition became effective to individuals ('residential clients') on July 1, 2007 with the possibility to freely choose their energy supplier. This opening of energy markets to residential clients started 3 years after the opening to professionals (July 1, 2004). The Commission of energy regulation (CRE) and the national energy Ombudsman have set in place in 2007 a quantitative yearly survey ('barometer') addressed to residential clients in order to collect statistical data about the behaviour of these clients with regards to the opening of markets to competition. This document deals with the results of the fourth run of this survey carried out from November 10 to November 20, 2008 by the LH2 institute. For the 1502 households investigated, LH2 has questioned the person in charge of the energy bills management. The barometer aimed at answering the following questions: - what is the level of knowledge and information of residential clients about markets opening and the existing regulation? - What perception of this opening do they have? (pros/cons, advantages/drawbacks); - what behaviour do they have in front of the opening of markets to competition? (approach with respect to information needs, knowledge about the offer, intention to change supplier, brakes/motivations in entering the open market). (J.S.)

Urban index modelling for forecasting of channeled natural gas market: an example in Sao Paulo metropolitan region; Modelagem de indicadores urbanos para previsao do mercado de gas natural canalizado: um exemplo na regiao metropolitana de Sao Paulo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massara, Vanessa Meloni; Faga, Murilo Tadeu Werneck; Udaeta, Miguel Edgar Morales [Universidade Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Programa Interunidades de Pos Graduacao em Energia]. E-mail: vmassara@iee.usp.br; murfaga@iee.usp.br; udaeta@pea.usp.br

2006-07-01

This paper aims to present a systemic model for analysis of the expansion and grow up of the natural gas distribution pipeline in a city. This methodology integrates the understanding of the urban dynamics to the strategies of expansion in the natural gas distribution network, through the grouping of information such as family income, demographic density and construction area, percentage of land use, number of households as well as commercial, service and industrial establishments, number of real state as well as indicative information released by the Urban Plan of the city regarding the increments in the peripheral districts. Relating the gas consumption esteemed by each type of land occupation and the cost for expanding the gas distribution network, the model will indicate, for each neighborhood, the viability of implementing a gas network as well as the places with potential for growing density in the existing gas distribution system. The aim is to propose an integration of aspects of city dynamics and new energy source development, taking the advance of natural gas in Sao Paulo Metropolitan area as a specific case study. Through the analysis of highly industrialized, residential and commercial suburbs of the City of Sao Caetano do Sul, the importance of urban parameters in the decision making process for network expansion is identified. (author)

Economic viability study of micro-cogeneration plants at residential scale; Estudo de viabilidade economica de plantas de micro-cogeracao em escala residencial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dutra, Jose Carlos Charamba; Ramalho e Soares, Ravi [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil); Michalewicz, Jacek Stanislaw [Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica de Pernambuco (CEFET-PE), Recife, RN (Brazil)

2008-07-01

This paper presents the results of a technical and economical feasibility study for the use of micro cogeneration systems in residential scale, using natural gas as an energy source. It was considered two micro-cogeneration systems to meet demand of some types of fictitious establishment of commercial and residential plants, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The first system has as a main driving machine a micro turbine with a nominal capacity of 30 kw, the second one uses a gas motor-generator, with nominal capacity of 35 kw. (author)

Comparison of Test Procedures and Energy Efficiency Criteria in Selected International Standards & Labeling Programs for Copy Machines, External Power Supplies, LED Displays, Residential Gas Cooktops and Televisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Nina [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Zhou, Nan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Fridley, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-03-01

This report presents a technical review of international minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), voluntary and mandatory energy efficiency labels and test procedures for five products being considered for new or revised MEPS in China: copy machines, external power supply, LED displays, residential gas cooktops and flat-screen televisions. For each product, an overview of the scope of existing international standards and labeling programs, energy values and energy performance metrics and description and detailed summary table of criteria and procedures in major test standards are presented.

Integrated fuel cell energy system for modern buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moard, D.M.; Cuzens, J.E.

1998-07-01

Energy deregulation, building design efficiency standards and competitive pressures all encourage the incorporation of distributed fuel cell cogeneration packages into modern buildings. The building marketplace segments to which these systems apply include office buildings, retail stores, hospitals, hotels, food service and multifamily residences. These applications represent approximately 60% of the commercial building sector's energy use plus a portion of the residential sector's energy use. While there are several potential manufacturers of fuel cells on the verge of marketing equipment, most are currently using commercial hydrogen gas to fuel them. There are few suppliers of equipment, which convert conventional fuels into hydrogen. Hydrogen Burner Technology, Inc. (HBT) is one of the few companies with a proven under-oxidized-burner (UOB) technology, patented and already proven in commercial use for industrial applications. HBT is developing a subsystem based on the UOB technology that can produce a hydrogen rich product gas using natural gas, propane or liquid fuels as the feed stock, which may be directly useable by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells for conversion into electricity. The combined thermal output can also be used for space heating/cooling, water heating or steam generation applications. HBT is currently analyzing the commercial building market, integrated system designs and marketplace motivations which will allow the best overall subsystem to be designed, tested and introduced commercially in the shortest time possible. HBT is also actively involved in combined subsystem designs for use in automotive and small residential services.

Modeling electric load and water consumption impacts from an integrated thermal energy and rainwater storage system for residential buildings in Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upshaw, Charles R.; Rhodes, Joshua D.; Webber, Michael E.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Hydronic integrated rainwater thermal storage (ITHERST) system concept presented. • ITHERST system modeled to assess peak electric load shifting and water savings. • Case study shows 75% peak load reduction and 9% increase in energy consumption. • Potable rainwater collection could provide ∼50–90% of water used for case study. - Abstract: The United States’ built environment is a significant direct and indirect consumer of energy and water. In Texas, and other parts of the Southern and Western US, air conditioning loads, particularly from residential buildings, contribute significantly to the peak electricity load on the grid, straining transmission. In parallel, water resources in these regions are strained by growing populations and shrinking supplies. One potential method to address both of these issues is to develop integrated thermal energy and auxiliary water (e.g. rainwater, greywater, etc.) storage and management systems that reduce peak load and freshwater consumption. This analysis focuses on a proposed integrated thermal energy and rainwater storage (ITHERST) system that is incorporated into a residential air-source chiller/heat pump with hydronic distribution. This paper describes a step-wise hourly thermodynamic model of the thermal storage system to assess on-peak performance, and a daily volume-balance model of auxiliary water collection and consumption to assess water savings potential. While the model is generalized, this analysis uses a case study of a single family home in Austin, Texas to illustrate its capabilities. The results indicate this ITHERST system could reduce on-peak air conditioning electric power demand by over 75%, with increased overall electric energy consumption of approximately 7–9%, when optimally sized. Additionally, the modeled rainwater collection reduced municipal water consumption by approximately 53–89%, depending on the system size.

Natural gas foothold in world energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Ermo, V.; Forli, C.

1991-01-01

In this article, the expansion of natural gas from the '50s to the early '80s is analyzed. Following its positive success in industrial, residential and thermoelectric uses, natural gas still has new market spaces to win both in conventional and technical and process innovation-oriented industries

Re-thinking residential mobility

Science.gov (United States)

van Ham, Maarten; Findlay, Allan M.

2015-01-01

While researchers are increasingly re-conceptualizing international migration, far less attention has been devoted to re-thinking short-distance residential mobility and immobility. In this paper we harness the life course approach to propose a new conceptual framework for residential mobility research. We contend that residential mobility and immobility should be re-conceptualized as relational practices that link lives through time and space while connecting people to structural conditions. Re-thinking and re-assessing residential mobility by exploiting new developments in longitudinal analysis will allow geographers to understand, critique and address pressing societal challenges. PMID:27330243

Information Processing and Creative Thinking Abilities of Residential and Non-Residential School Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atasi Mohanty

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study attempts to assess and compare the residential and non-residential schoolchildren in information-processing skills and creative thinking abilities. A sample of 80 children from Classes 5 and 7 were selected from two types of schools, residential/ashram (02 and non-residential/formal schools (02 in Bolpur subdivision of West Bengal in India where the medium of instruction is Bengali language/mother-tongue. All the children were individually administered the PASS (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive, Stroop, Matching Familiar Figure Test (MFFT-20, and creative thinking tasks. The residential school children were found to perform better both in information processing and creative thinking tasks. The developmental trend could not be clearly observed due to small sample size, but with increasing age, children were using better processing strategies. Due to ashram environment, creative pedagogy, and various co-curricular activities, the residential school children were found to be more creative than their formal school counterparts. Moreover, some significant positive correlations were found among information processing skills and creative thinking dimensions.

The gas industry as a field for investment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkhardt, D.A.; Mosbacher, M.L.

1990-01-01

This article addresses the attractiveness of the gas industry as a field for investment. A favorable view is given. Topics addressed are the industry in general, gas supply, gas prices, residential markets, commercial and industrial markets, and includes an overview of the position of the gas industry as it enters a new decade. Key ratios of various industries are given for comparison to the yield and growth of the natural gas industry

Sustainability Assessment of the Residential Land Use in Seven Boroughs of the Island of Montreal, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Enrique Vega-Azamar

2015-02-01

Full Text Available High resource utilization in the residential sector, and the associated environmental impacts, are central issues in the growth of urban regions. Land-use urban planning is a primary instrument for the proper development of cities; an important point is the consideration of the urban form’s influence on resource utilization intensity. Emergy synthesis, an energy-based methodological approach that allows the quantification and integration of both natural and human-generated flows interacting in urban environments, was used to assess sustainability of the residential land use of seven boroughs on the Island of Montreal. Natural resources, food, water, acquired goods and services, electricity and fuels were the main flows considered in the analysis. Results suggest that income, household size and distance to downtown are the variables affecting resource utilization intensity more noticeably and that allocation of green area coverage is an important parameter for controlling land use intensity. With the procedure used for calculating resource use intensity in the seven boroughs, it is possible to generate a tool to support urban planning decision-making for assessing sustainable development scenarios. Future research should consider urban green space potential for accommodating local waste treatment systems, acting as a greenhouse gas emissions sink and promoting human health.

Can Switching from Coal to Shale Gas Bring Net Carbon Reductions to China?

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Yue; Edwards, Ryan; Tong, Fan; Mauzerall, Denise L

2017-03-07

To increase energy security and reduce emissions of air pollutants and CO 2 from coal use, China is attempting to duplicate the rapid development of shale gas that has taken place in the United States. This work builds a framework to estimate the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from China's shale gas system and compares them with GHG emissions from coal used in the power, residential, and industrial sectors. We find the mean lifecycle carbon footprint of shale gas is about 30-50% lower than that of coal in all sectors under both 20 year and 100 year global warming potentials (GWP 20 and GWP 100 ). However, primarily due to large uncertainties in methane leakage, the upper bound estimate of the lifecycle carbon footprint of shale gas in China could be approximately 15-60% higher than that of coal across sectors under GWP 20 . To ensure net GHG emission reductions when switching from coal to shale gas, we estimate the breakeven methane leakage rates to be approximately 6.0%, 7.7%, and 4.2% in the power, residential, and industrial sectors, respectively, under GWP 20 . We find shale gas in China has a good chance of delivering air quality and climate cobenefits, particularly when used in the residential sector, with proper methane leakage control.

Break-Even Cost for Residential Solar Water Heating in the United States: Key Drivers and Sensitivities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cassard, H.; Denholm, P.; Ong, S.

2011-02-01

This paper examines the break-even cost for residential rooftop solar water heating (SWH) technology, defined as the point where the cost of the energy saved with a SWH system equals the cost of a conventional heating fuel purchased from the grid (either electricity or natural gas). We examine the break-even cost for the largest 1,000 electric and natural gas utilities serving residential customers in the United States as of 2008. Currently, the break-even cost of SWH in the United States varies by more than a factor of five for both electricity and natural gas, despite a much smaller variation in the amount of energy saved by the systems (a factor of approximately one and a half). The break-even price for natural gas is lower than that for electricity due to a lower fuel cost. We also consider the relationship between SWH price and solar fraction and examine the key drivers behind break-even costs. Overall, the key drivers of the break-even cost of SWH are a combination of fuel price, local incentives, and technical factors including the solar resource location, system size, and hot water draw.

Renewables in residential development. An integrated GIS-based multicriteria approach for decentralized micro renewable energy production in new settlement development. A case study of the eastern metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmas, Claudia [Cagliari Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Land Engineering; Abis, Emanuela [Cagliari Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Architecture; Haaren, Christina von [Leibniz Univ. of Hannover (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Planning; Lovett, Andrew [East Anglia Univ., Norwich (United Kingdom). School of Environmental Sciences

2011-07-01

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in using micro renewable energy sources to heat and power homes. However, planning has not yet developed methodological approaches for integrating such objectives of optimized energy efficiency with other environmental requirements and concerns of sustainable residential development. This study addresses such integration by first presenting an approach to assess the different potentials of the landscape for generating renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermic, biomass). Subsequently, optimized locations for residential development according to other sustainability criteria are identified and the two sets of results integrated by systematic GIS operations. The methodological approach for evaluating spatial variations in energy potential and producing the energy potential maps was based on existing methods for assessing the energy potential of the landscape which were adapted to the local scale and data availability. In the case of bioenergy potential a new method was developed. Other environmental criteria for deciding about sustainable locations for residential areas with different types of micro generation were identified through a survey of more than 100 expert respondents. This survey involved pairwise comparisons of relevant factors, which were then translated using the Analytical Hierarchy Process into relative weights. Subsequently these weights were applied to factor maps in a GIS via a weighted linear combination method to obtain suitable areas for new settlements and preferred locations for micro renewable technologies in the eastern metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia. (orig.)

Multi-annual forward estimate - gas 2017

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

GRDF, GRTgaz, SPEGNN and TIGF gas transport and distribution operators have the responsibility to publish a reference document about the multi-annual forward estimate of gas consumption evolution and renewable gas production. This document is the second joint forecast report published by the 4 French gas operators. It presents, first, the situation, hypotheses, analysis and perspectives of the 4 main sectoral gas markets (residential, tertiary, industrial, mobility), then, the centralized power generation and cogeneration, next, the production of renewable gas (different sectors, hypotheses, analysis and perspectives), and finally, a multi-sectorial vision according to 3 different scenarios

Multi-annual forward estimate - gas 2016

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

GRDF, GRTgaz, SPEGNN and TIGF gas transport and distribution operators have the responsibility to publish a reference document about the multi-annual forward estimate of gas consumption evolution and renewable gas production. This document is the first joint forecast report published by the 4 French gas operators. It presents, first, the situation, hypotheses, analysis and perspectives of the 4 main sectoral gas markets (residential, tertiary, industrial, mobility), then, the centralized power generation and cogeneration, next, the production of renewable gas (different sectors, hypotheses, analysis and perspectives), and finally, a multi-sectorial vision according to 3 different scenarios

Lifestyle factors in U.S. residential electricity consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanquist, Thomas F.; Orr, Heather; Shui Bin; Bittner, Alvah C.

2012-01-01

A multivariate statistical approach to lifestyle analysis of residential electricity consumption is described and illustrated. Factor analysis of selected variables from the 2005 U.S. Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) identified five lifestyle factors reflecting social and behavioral patterns associated with air conditioning, laundry usage, personal computer usage, climate zone of residence, and TV use. These factors were also estimated for 2001 RECS data. Multiple regression analysis using the lifestyle factors yields solutions accounting for approximately 40% of the variance in electricity consumption for both years. By adding the household and market characteristics of income, local electricity price and access to natural gas, variance accounted for is increased to approximately 54%. Income contributed ∼1% unique variance to the models, indicating that lifestyle factors reflecting social and behavioral patterns better account for consumption differences than income. Geographic segmentation of factor scores shows distinct clusters of consumption and lifestyle factors, particularly in suburban locations. The implications for tailored policy and planning interventions are discussed in relation to lifestyle issues. - Highlights: ► Illustrates lifestyle analysis of residential electricity consumption. ► Lifestyle factors based on social and behavioral decisions and equipment use. ► Regression models using lifestyle factors account for 40% of consumption variance. ► Lifestyle factors are stable over time when applied to other data sets. ► Energy reduction opportunities are identified by segmentation analysis.

Residential care : Dutch and Italian residents of residential care facilities compared

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Heer-Wunderink, Charlotte; Caro-Nienhuis, Annemarie D.; Sytema, Sjoerd; Wiersma, Durk

2008-01-01

Aims - Characteristics of patients living in residential care facilities and the availability of mental hospital- and residential beds in Italy and The Netherlands were compared to assess whether differences in the process of deinstitutionalisation have influenced the composition of their

Size distribution and concentration of soot generated in oil and gas-fired residential boilers under different combustion conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez, Santiago; Barroso, Jorge; Pina, Antonio; Ballester, Javier

2016-05-01

In spite of the relevance of residential heating burners in the global emission of soot particles to the atmosphere, relatively little information on their properties (concentration, size distribution) is available in the literature, and even less regarding the dependence of those properties on the operating conditions. Instead, the usual procedure to characterize those emissions is to measure the smoke opacity by several methods, among which the blackening of a paper after filtering a fixed amount of gas (Bacharach test) is predominant. In this work, the size distributions of the particles generated in the combustion of a variety of gaseous and liquid fuels in a laboratory facility equipped with commercial burners have been measured with a size classifier coupled to a particle counter in a broad range of operating conditions (air excesses), with simultaneous determination of the Bacharach index. The shape and evolution of the distribution with progressively smaller oxygen concentrations depends essentially on the state of the fuel: whereas the combustion of the gases results in monomodal distributions that 'shift' towards larger diameters, in the case of the gas-oils an ultrafine mode is always observed, and a secondary mode of coarse particle grows in relevance. In both cases, there is a strong, exponential correlation between the total mass concentration and the Bacharach opacity index, quite similar for both groups of fuels. The empirical expressions proposed may allow other researchers to at least estimate the emissions of numerous combustion facilities routinely characterized by their smoke opacities.

Integration of Solar Photovoltaics and Electric Vehicles in Residential Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna; Huang, Shaojun; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

2013-01-01

In the last few years, there is an increased penetration of solar photovoltaic (SPV) units in low voltage (LV) distribution grids. Also electric vehicles (EVs) are introduced to these LV networks. This has caused the distribution networks to be more active and complex as these local generation...... and load units are characterised by unpredictable and diverse operating characteristics. This paper analyses the combined effect of SPVs and EVs in LV Danish residential grids. The EVs charging needs based on typical driving patterns of passenger cars and SPV power profiles during winter/summer days...

Electrochemical cell with integrated hydrocarbon gas sensor for automobile exhaust gas; Elektrochemische Zelle mit integriertem Kohlenwasserstoff-Gassensor fuer das Automobilabgas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biskupski, D.; Moos, R. [Univ. Bayreuth (Germany). Bayreuth Engine Research Center, Lehrstuhl fuer Funktionsmaterialien; Wiesner, K.; Fleischer, M. [Siemens AG, Corporate Technology, CT PS 6, Muenchen (Germany)

2007-07-01

In the future sensors will be necessary to control the compliance with hydrocarbon limiting values, allowing a direct detection of the hydrocarbons. Appropriate sensor-active functional materials are metal oxides, which have a hydrocarbon sensitivity but are also dependent on the oxygen partial pressure. It is proposed that the gas-sensing layer should be integrated into an electrochemical cell. The authors show that the integration of a resistive oxygen sensor into a pump cell allows a defined oxygen concentration level at the sensor layer in any exhaust gas.

75 FR 5244 - Pipeline Safety: Integrity Management Program for Gas Distribution Pipelines; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-02

... Management Program for Gas Distribution Pipelines; Correction AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 49 CFR Part... Regulations to require operators of gas distribution pipelines to develop and implement integrity management...

Integration of High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors into Industrial Process Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Lee

2009-01-01

This report is a preliminary comparison of conventional and potential HTGR-integrated processes in several common industrial areas: (1) Producing electricity via a traditional power cycle; (2) Producing hydrogen; (3) Producing ammonia and ammonia-derived products, such as fertilizer; (4) Producing gasoline and diesel from natural gas or coal; (5) Producing substitute natural gas from coal; and (6) Steam-assisted gravity drainage (extracting oil from tar sands).

Environmental and Economic Benefit Analysis of an Integrated Heating System with Geothermal Energy—A Case Study in Xi’an China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingyou Yan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Due to the increase in environmental problems and air pollution during the heating period, it is important to promote clean heating in cold regions, thereby meeting the heating demand in a green manner. In order to allocate resources more effectively and facilitate the consumption of renewable energy, this paper designs an integrated heating system that incorporates geothermal energy into the framework of an integrated energy system of electricity, heating, and gas. An analysis of the environmental and economic benefits indicates that the system reduces pollutant emissions and decreases the cost of urban heating. Using an example of central heating of residential buildings in Xi’an, the paper conducts a scenario analysis based on the gas peak-shaving ratio and the ratio of geothermal heating loads to basic heating loads. The results demonstrate that the environmental and economic benefits of the integrated heating system are higher compared to central heating using coal-fired boilers. In addition, this paper conducts a sensitivity analysis of the heat source to the price factors and the load ratios. The results show that the operating costs of the integrated heating system are most sensitive to the natural gas price and the gas peak-shaving ratio. Therefore, an optimum natural gas peak-shaving ratio can be determined.

Residential Waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Fruergaard, Thilde; Matsufuji, Y.

2011-01-01

are discussed in this chapter. Characterizing residential waste is faced with the problem that many residences already divert some waste away from the official collection systems, for example performing home composting of vegetable waste and garden waste, having their bundled newspaper picked up by the scouts...... twice a year or bringing their used furniture to the flea markets organized by charity clubs. Thus, much of the data available on residential waste represents collected waste and not necessarily all generated waste. The latter can only be characterized by careful studies directly at the source......, but such studies are very expensive if fair representation of both spatial and temporal variations should be obtained. In addition, onsite studies may affect the waste generation in the residence because of the increased focus on the issue. Residential waste is defined in different ways in different countries...

Natural gas demand in the European household sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsen, Odd Bjarte; Asche, Frank; Tveteras, Ragnar

2005-08-01

This paper analyzes the residential natural gas demand per capita in 12 European countries using a dynamic log linear demand model, which allows for country-specific elasticity estimates in the short- and long-run. The explanatory variables included lagged demand per capita, heating degree days index, real prices of natural gas, light fuel oil, electricity, and real private income per capita. The short-run own-price and income elasticity tend to be very inelastic, but with greater long-run responsiveness. By splitting the data set in two time periods, an increase in the own-price elasticities were detected for the European residential natural gas demand market as a whole. We have provided support for employing a heterogeneous estimator such as the shrinkage estimator. But the empirical results also motivate a further scrutiny of its properties. (Author)

Exploring utility organization electricity generation, residential electricity consumption, and energy efficiency: A climatic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, Christopher A.; Feng, Song

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Study examined impact of electricity fuel sources and consumption on emissions. • 97.2% of variability in emissions explained by coal and residential electricity use. • Increasing cooling degree days significantly related to increased electricity use. • Effectiveness of state-level energy efficiency programs showed mixed results. - Abstract: This study examined the impact of electricity generation by fuel source type and electricity consumption on carbon emissions to assess the role of climatic variability and energy efficiency (EE) in the United States. Despite high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, residential electricity consumption continues to increase in the United States and fossil fuels are the primary fuel source of electricity generation. 97.2% of the variability in carbon emissions in the electricity industry was explained by electricity generation from coal and residential electricity consumption. The relationships between residential electricity consumption, short-term climatic variability, long-term climatic trends, short-term reduction in electricity from EE programs, and long-term trends in EE programs was examined. This is the first study of its nature to examine these relationships across the 48 contiguous United States. Inter-year and long-term trends in cooling degree days, or days above a baseline temperature, were the primary climatic drivers of residential electricity consumption. Cooling degree days increased across the majority of the United States during the study period, and shared a positive relationship with residential electricity consumption when findings were significant. The majority of electricity reduction from EE programs was negatively related to residential electricity consumption where findings were significant. However, the trend across the majority of states was a decrease in electricity reduction from EE while residential electricity consumption increased. States that successfully reduced consumption

Modeling and analysis of long term energy demands in residential sector of pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashid, T.; Sahir, M.H.

2015-01-01

Residential sector is the core among the energy demand sectors in Pakistan. Currently, various techniques are being used worldwide to assess future energy demands including integrated system modeling (ISM). Therefore, the current study is focused on implementation of ISM approach for future energy demand analysis of Pakistan's residential sector in terms of increase in population, rapid urbanization, household size and type, and increase/decrease in GDP. A detailed business-as-usual (BAU) model is formulated in TIMES energy modeling framework using different factors like growth in future energy services, end-use technology characterization, and restricted fuel supplies. Additionally, the developed model is capable to compare the projected energy demand under different scenarios e.g. strong economy, weak economy and energy efficiency. The implementation of ISM proved a viable approach to predict the future energy demands of Pakistan's residential sector. Furthermore, the analysis shows that the energy consumption in the residential sector would be 46.5 Mtoe (Million Ton of Oil Equivalent) in 2040 compared to 23 Mtoe of the base year (2007) along with 600% increase in electricity demands. The study further maps the potential residential energy policies to congregate the future demands. (author)

School adjustment of children in residential care: a multi-source analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín, Eduardo; Muñoz de Bustillo, María del Carmen

2009-11-01

School adjustment is one the greatest challenges in residential child care programs. This study has two aims: to analyze school adjustment compared to a normative population, and to carry out a multi-source analysis (child, classmates, and teacher) of this adjustment. A total of 50 classrooms containing 60 children from residential care units were studied. The "Método de asignación de atributos perceptivos" (Allocation of perceptive attributes; Díaz-Aguado, 2006), the "Test Autoevaluativo Multifactorial de Adaptación Infantil" (TAMAI [Multifactor Self-assessment Test of Child Adjustment]; Hernández, 1996) and the "Protocolo de valoración para el profesorado (Evaluation Protocol for Teachers; Fernández del Valle, 1998) were applied. The main results indicate that, compared with their classmates, children in residential care are perceived as more controversial and less integrated at school, although no differences were observed in problems of isolation. The multi-source analysis shows that there is agreement among the different sources when the externalized and visible aspects are evaluated. These results are discussed in connection with the practices that are being developed in residential child care programs.

Periodic reviews of structural integrity of gas-cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banks, P.J.; Stokoe, T.Y.; Thomas, D.L.

1995-01-01

Nuclear Electric operates 12 gas-cooled reactor power stations which have been in service for between 5 and 30 years. Periodically, comprehensive reviews of the safety cases are carried out for each station. The approach followed in these reviews in respect of structural integrity is outlined with the use of illustrative examples. (author)

Modeling and optimization of a 1 kWe HT-PEMFC-based micro-CHP residential system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arsalis, Alexandros; Nielsen, Mads Pagh; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2012-01-01

A high temperature-proton exchange membrane (HT-PEMFC)-based micro-combined-heat-and-power (CHP) residential system is designed and optimized, using a genetic algorithm (GA) optimization strategy. The proposed system consists of a fuel cell stack, steam methane reformer (SMR) reactor, water gas...

Integrating climate forecasts and natural gas supply information into a natural gas purchasing decision

Science.gov (United States)

Changnon, David; Ritsche, Michael; Elyea, Karen; Shelton, Steve; Schramm, Kevin

2000-09-01

This paper illustrates a key lesson related to most uses of long-range climate forecast information, namely that effective weather-related decision-making requires understanding and integration of weather information with other, often complex factors. Northern Illinois University's heating plant manager and staff meteorologist, along with a group of meteorology students, worked together to assess different types of available information that could be used in an autumn natural gas purchasing decision. Weather information assessed included the impact of ENSO events on winters in northern Illinois and the Climate Prediction Center's (CPC) long-range climate outlooks. Non-weather factors, such as the cost and available supplies of natural gas prior to the heating season, contribute to the complexity of the natural gas purchase decision. A decision tree was developed and it incorporated three parts: (a) natural gas supply levels, (b) the CPC long-lead climate outlooks for the region, and (c) an ENSO model developed for DeKalb. The results were used to decide in autumn whether to lock in a price or ride the market each winter. The decision tree was tested for the period 1995-99, and returned a cost-effective decision in three of the four winters.

Family ties and residential locations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, C.H.; Cooke, T.J.

2009-01-01

In this paper, and in the Special Issue it introduces, the focus is on the role of family ties in residential location choice and, conversely, the role of residential locations in maintaining family ties. Not only do events in the nuclear family trigger residential relocations, but nearby family

ENERGY-EFFICIENT REGIMES FOR HEATING-SUPPLY OF THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. N. Osipov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rise in comfort and inhabitation safety is one of the main requirements of the general maintenance, reconstruction of the old and construction of the new residential houses. One of the essential factors of it is substitution in the household hot-water preparing sources: from the individual domestic gas  water-heaters to  the common  entire-building hot-water supply at the expense of the centralized heat supply. Extremely erratic hot-water daily consumption by tenants leads to the necessity of sharp increase in central heat-supply level during a few hours of the day, which requires a significant increase of the source heat-power. On that score, the authors propose to direct a significant part (up to 50 % of the centralized heating and ventilation heat power-consumption to the hot water preparation during the period of short-term hot water consumption peak.Substitution  of  the  individual  domestic  gas  water-heaters  with  the  common  entirebuilding hot-water supply releases a huge amount of natural gas which can be utilized not only for production of the necessary heat power but as well for electric power producing. This substitution is especially advantageous if heat-power is delivered to the residential area from a НРС where significant part of heat especially in a relatively warm season of the year is thrown out into the air. The content of the article is based on several patents received earlier.

Characteristics of electrostatic gas micro-pump with integrated polyimide passive valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Jeahyeong; Yeom, Junghoon; Mensing, Glennys; Flachsbart, Bruce; Shannon, Mark A

2012-01-01

We report on the fabrication and characterization of electrostatic gas micro-pumps integrated with polyimide check valves. Touch-mode capacitance actuation, enabled by a fixed silicon electrode and a metal/polyimide diaphragm, creates the suction and push-out of the ambient gas; the gas flow is rectified by the check valves located at the inlet and outlet of the pump. The fabricated pumps were tested with various actuation voltages at different frequencies and duty cycles; an emphasis was placed on investigating the effect of valve flow conductance on the gas pumping characteristics. The pump with higher valve conductance could increase the operating frequency of the pump and affect the pumping characteristics from a pulsating flow to a continuous flow, leading to a higher gas flow rate. This electrostatic pump has a flow control resolution of 1 µL min −1 ; it could generate a gas flow up to 106 µL min −1 . (paper)

Simulation, integration, and economic analysis of gas-to-liquid processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao, Buping; El-Halwagi, Mahmoud M.; Elbashir, Nimir O.

2010-01-01

Gas-to-liquid (GTL) involves the chemical conversion of natural gas into synthetic crude that can be upgraded and separated into different useful hydrocarbon fractions including liquid transportation fuels. Such technology can also be used to convert other abundant natural resources such as coal and biomass to fuels and value added chemicals (referred to as coal-to-liquid (CTL) and biomass-to-liquid (BTL)). A leading GTL technology is the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process. The objective of this work is to provide a techno-economic analysis of the GTL process and to identify optimization and integration opportunities for cost saving and reduction of energy usage while accounting for the environmental impact. First, a base-case flowsheet is synthesized to include the key processing steps of the plant. Then, a computer-aided process simulation is carried out to determine the key mass and energy flows, performance criteria, and equipment specifications. Next, energy and mass integration studies are performed to address the following items: (a) heating and cooling utilities, (b) combined heat and power (process cogeneration), (c) management of process water, (c) optimization of tail gas allocation, and (d) recovery of catalyst-supporting hydrocarbon solvents. Finally, these integration studies are conducted and the results are documented in terms of conserving energy and mass resources as well as providing economic impact. Finally, an economic analysis is undertaken to determine the plant capacity needed to achieve the break-even point and to estimate the return on investment for the base-case study. (author)

Pipelines integrity management in Transportadora de Gas del Sur; Gerenciamento de la integridad de gasoductos en Transportadora de Gas del Sur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Espineira, Eduardo [Transportadora de Gas del Sur (TGS) (Argentina). Gerencia de Integridad de Gasoductos

2003-07-01

To control the integrity of a buried gas pipeline system is not an easy task for a gas pipeline operator. As the threats that affect pipeline integrity are many, it is critical to obtain, visualize, and analyze a great quantity of data in order to ensure a safe and continuous gas supply. This task becomes even more complex in the case of pipelines installed long time ago, where time pays an important role in the formation and development of defects. It is essential to maintain a policy of permanent evaluation, monitoring and repair that allows to evaluate the integrity plan developed and to make the changes that might be necessary. The TGS pipeline system consists of 7400 Km of pipe with an average age of 30 years, going across a great variety of soils and zones with distinctive geographical features that demand the continuous investment of money. This study describes the integrity plan set up by TGS and its evolution in time, including the main tasks related to information gathering and analysis, as well as all rehabilitation tasks. The evaluation of the integrity plan implementation, and the evolution of failure rates in time with respect to the related investments are also described. Finally, the analysis includes the information management systems applied by TGS such as the Geographic Information System . (author)

The influence of opening windows and doors on the natural ventilation rate of a residential building

Science.gov (United States)

Increased building energy efficiency is important in reducing national energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. An analysis of air change rates due to door and window openings in a research test house located in a residential environment are presented. These data inform developme...

Wood energy for residential heating in Alaska: current conditions, attitudes, and expected use

Science.gov (United States)

David L. Nicholls; Allen M. Brackley; Valerie. Barber

2010-01-01

This study considered three aspects of residential wood energy use in Alaska: current conditions and fuel consumption, knowledge and attitudes, and future use and conditions. We found that heating oil was the primary fuel for home heating in southeast and interior Alaska, whereas natural gas was used most often in south-central Alaska (Anchorage). Firewood heating...

Study on Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential in Residential, Commercial and Transportation Sectors of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H. G.; Jeong, Y. J.

2011-11-01

The establishment of the sectoral model was made. The sectors cover residential, commercial and transportation sectors. The establishment of the model includes designing Reference Energy System, Development of the reference scenario, setting up various scenarios in which GHG reductions were taken into account by evaluating the reduction potential in the cost effective way

The Private Net Benefits of Residential Solar PV: The Role of Electricity Tariffs, Tax Incentives and Rebates

OpenAIRE

Severin Borenstein

2015-01-01

With dramatic declines in the cost of solar PV technology over the last 5 years, the electricity industry is in the midst of discussions about whether to use this low-polluting renewable energy source in grid-scale generation or in distributed generation (DG), mostly with rooftop solar PV. California has led the growth in DG solar in the U.S. I use 2007 to early 2014 residential data from Pacific Gas & Electric – the utility with largest number of residential solar customers in the U.S. – to ...

Urban BIPV in the new residential construction industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elzinga, D.

2008-03-15

This report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 10 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at urban building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in the new residential construction industry. The mission of the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme is to enhance the international collaboration efforts which accelerate the development and deployment of photovoltaic solar energy. The aim of Task 10 is stated as being to enhance the opportunities for wide-scale, solution-oriented application of photovoltaics in the urban environment. The report states that different types of building require different approaches to BIPV due to their associated varying dimensions and geometry. Several solutions are proposed to encourage the adoption and diffusion of BIPV by the new home residential building industry. These are divided into PV industry-based approaches and policy-based solutions. The former include end-customer focused policies, the identification of early adopters, the creation of product solutions that meet the needs of the building industry and standards and that the construction industry must be engaged in the design and planning stage of residential developments. Policy questions discussed include the provision of incentives, a planned approach to the demonstration of BIPV and the development of BIPV-specific policy.

Indoor Thermal Environment in Tropical Climate Residential Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamaludin Nazhatulzalkis

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Indoor thermal environment is one of the criteria in sustainable building. This criterion is important in ensuring a healthy indoor environment for the occupants. The consideration of environmental concerns at the early design stage would effectively integrate the sustainability of the building environment. Global climate changes such as global warming do affect human comfort since people spend most of their time and activities in the building. The increasing of urban population required additional housing for households, as well as places to shop, office and other facilities. Occupants are now more conscious the importance of sustainability for a better quality of life. Good thermal environment is essential for human wellness and comfort. A residential environment will influence residents’ health and safety. The global warming increase the earth’s temperature and greenhouse emission to the atmosphere cause adverse effects to the outdoor environment. Residential developments modify the materials, structure and energy balance in urban climate effects of human economic activities. As an indoor environment is influenced by the outdoor condition, the factors affecting indoor thermal environment are crucial in improving a comfortable and healthy environment in residential building. The microclimatic of a site such as temperature and relative humidity, and wind movement led to the variation of indoor thermal environment in the building.

The Assessment of Climatological Impacts on Agricultural Production and Residential Energy Demand

Science.gov (United States)

Cooter, Ellen Jean

The assessment of climatological impacts on selected economic activities is presented as a multi-step, inter -disciplinary problem. The assessment process which is addressed explicitly in this report focuses on (1) user identification, (2) direct impact model selection, (3) methodological development, (4) product development and (5) product communication. Two user groups of major economic importance were selected for study; agriculture and gas utilities. The broad agricultural sector is further defined as U.S.A. corn production. The general category of utilities is narrowed to Oklahoma residential gas heating demand. The CERES physiological growth model was selected as the process model for corn production. The statistical analysis for corn production suggests that (1) although this is a statistically complex model, it can yield useful impact information, (2) as a result of output distributional biases, traditional statistical techniques are not adequate analytical tools, (3) the model yield distribution as a whole is probably non-Gausian, particularly in the tails and (4) there appears to be identifiable weekly patterns of forecasted yields throughout the growing season. Agricultural quantities developed include point yield impact estimates and distributional characteristics, geographic corn weather distributions, return period estimates, decision making criteria (confidence limits) and time series of indices. These products were communicated in economic terms through the use of a Bayesian decision example and an econometric model. The NBSLD energy load model was selected to represent residential gas heating consumption. A cursory statistical analysis suggests relationships among weather variables across the Oklahoma study sites. No linear trend in "technology -free" modeled energy demand or input weather variables which would correspond to that contained in observed state -level residential energy use was detected. It is suggested that this trend is largely the

Virtual Environment as a Design Tool for Sustainable Residential Spaces in Light of Theory of Planned Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hebatalla Sherin Nazmy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to reveal the impact of Virtual Environment as a design tool on the interior architect's design behavior towards adopting sustainable residential interior design practices. This approach is guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a theoretical framework; the purpose as such would serve to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical implementation to promote sustainable design practices. Findings revealed that Virtual Environment is anticipated to assist the interior architect in integrating the complex sustainable residential design objectives, and thus positively affect the interior architect's behavioral performance towards embracing sustainable residential design solutions.

Modeling residential lawn fertilization practices: integrating high resolution remote sensing with socioeconomic data

Science.gov (United States)

Weiqi Zhou; Austin Troy; Morgan. Grove

2008-01-01

This article investigates how remotely sensed lawn characteristics, such as parcel lawn area and parcel lawn greenness, combined with household characteristics, can be used to predict household lawn fertilization practices on private residential lands. This study involves two watersheds, Glyndon and Baisman's Run, in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. Parcel lawn...

Gas process technology for fuel cells. Desulfurization and other key problems; Gasprozesstechnik fuer Brennstoffzellen. Entschwefelung und andere Kernfragen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinzel, A.; Kalk, T.; Kvasnicka, A.; Roes, J.; Steffen, M.; Witzany, R. [Duisburg-Essen Univ., (Germany). ZBT Duisburg

2008-07-01

Fuel cells as Micro-CHP units for residential energy supply are one important technology option to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Starting from natural gas as energy carrier, hydrogen is generated by catalytic processes. Prototypes are operated in field test in the meanwhile, but there are still important technical and scientific questions to deal with, as there are e.g. the desulfurisation of natural gas, the optimisation of heat integration in order to improve the efficiency of the complete system, the realisation of a closed water loop and last but not least the formation and impact of ammonia. At the same time, cost aspects and production technology have to be considered. (orig.)

Integration of power to gas/power to liquid in the ongoing transformation processes; Integration von Power to Gas/Power to Liquid in den laufenden Transformationsprozess

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purr, Katja; Osiek, Dirk; Lange, Martin; and others

2016-03-15

The objective of this position paper is to assess from the current level of knowledge of the Federal Environment Agency the role and perspective of power to gas / power to Liquid (PtG / PtL) in a fully renewable energy system and in particular to appoint the challenges of integration and further development of this technique in the current transformation process in the next few years. Here also the comparison to other Power to X-options and their greenhouse gas reduction effect is shown. The geographic focus of the considerations is on Germany, knowing that a full renewable energy supply in Germany must be especially for economic reasons embedded in a long term international energy policy. [German] Ziel dieses Positionspapiers ist es, aus dem derzeitigen Kenntnisstand des Umweltbundesamts die Rolle und Perspektive von Power to Gas/Power to Liquid (PtG/PtL) in einem vollstaendig regenerativen Energiesystem einzuschaetzen und insbesondere die Herausforderungen bei der Integration und Weiterentwicklung dieser Technik im laufenden Transformationsprozess in den naechsten Jahren zu benennen. Dabei wird auch der Vergleich zu anderen Power to X-Optionen und deren Treibhausgasminderungswirkung dargestellt. Der geografische Fokus der Betrachtungen liegt dabei auf Deutschland, wohlwissend, dass eine vollstaendige regenerative Energieversorgung Deutschlands insbesondere aus oekonomischen Gruenden langfristig in eine internationale Energiepolitik eingebettet sein muss.

Research document no.31. Integration of European gas markets: nascent competition in a diversity of models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finon, D.

2002-01-01

The idea of building an integrated European gas market based on competitive trade, like a gas lake supplied indifferently by remote, intra-European and national sources with the help of active market places allowing arbitration and price convergence, is far from being reached. In fact it depends upon two conditions: the deregulation of each gas market at national level, and at the upper level of the market the change in contractual relations between remote gas producers and buyers, who currently make the relations rigid with long-term transactions and limit opportunities for exchange on a competitive basis. This document analyses at two levels, namely national and European, the changing shape of the European gas markets under the effects of the market reforms and their chance of integration. Firstly the former two-level European gas market, the legacy of which determines the constraints on competition development more strongly than in electricity, are characterized. Secondly, in order to characterize the potential for development of competition, the main traits of each national gas market are identified in terms of market attractiveness and market accessibility for the incumbents competitors. Thirdly, dynamics of market development towards market integration are inferred at European level from these characteristics and from the possibility for development of new forms of gas trade between foreign producers, suppliers and users at national level. (A.L.B.)

Research document no.31. Integration of European gas markets: nascent competition in a diversity of models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finon, D

2002-07-01

The idea of building an integrated European gas market based on competitive trade, like a gas lake supplied indifferently by remote, intra-European and national sources with the help of active market places allowing arbitration and price convergence, is far from being reached. In fact it depends upon two conditions: the deregulation of each gas market at national level, and at the upper level of the market the change in contractual relations between remote gas producers and buyers, who currently make the relations rigid with long-term transactions and limit opportunities for exchange on a competitive basis. This document analyses at two levels, namely national and European, the changing shape of the European gas markets under the effects of the market reforms and their chance of integration. Firstly the former two-level European gas market, the legacy of which determines the constraints on competition development more strongly than in electricity, are characterized. Secondly, in order to characterize the potential for development of competition, the main traits of each national gas market are identified in terms of market attractiveness and market accessibility for the incumbents competitors. Thirdly, dynamics of market development towards market integration are inferred at European level from these characteristics and from the possibility for development of new forms of gas trade between foreign producers, suppliers and users at national level. (A.L.B.)

Residential environmental evaluation of local cities considering regional characteristic and personal residential preference-a case study of Saga City,Japan

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

GE Jian; HOKAO Kazunori

2004-01-01

Questionnaire surveys and subjective evaluations on residential environment were performed in order to grasp the main factors of residential environment of small local cities. The suitable evaluation index system was established, and the regional residential environment characteristics and personal residential preference types were analyzed, so that their influence on residential environment evaluation could be grasped. The results can be applied to the residential environment planning, construction and monitoring of local cities.

Integration Research on Gas Turbine and Tunnel Kiln Combined System

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Hefei; Ma, Liangdong; Liu, Mingsheng

2018-04-01

Through the integrated modeling of gas turbine and tunnel kiln combined system, a thermodynamic calculation method of combined system is put forward, and the combined system operation parameters are obtained. By this method, the optimization of the combined system is analyzed and the optimal configuration of the gas turbine is calculated. At the same time, the thermal efficiency of the combined system is analyzed, and the heat distribution and thermal efficiency of the system before and after the improvement are explained. Taking the 1500 kg/h ceramic production as an example, pointed out that if the tunnel kiln has a gas turbine with a power of 342 kw. The amount of electricity of the combined system that produced per unit volume of the fuel which consumes more than it used to will be 7.19 kwh, the system thermal efficiency will reach 57.49%, which higher than the individual gas turbine’s cycle thermal efficiency 20% at least.

Residential-energy-demand modeling and the NIECS data base: an evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowing, T.G.; Dubin, J.A.; McFadden, D.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the 1978-1979 National Interim Energy Consumption Survey (NIECS) data base in terms of its usefulness for estimating residential energy demand models based on household appliance choice and utilization decisions. The NIECS contains detailed energy usage information at the household level for 4081 households during the April 1978 to March 1979 period. Among the data included are information on the structural and thermal characteristics of the housing unit, demographic characteristics of the household, fuel usage, appliance characteristics, and actual energy consumption. The survey covers the four primary residential fuels-electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and liquefied petroleum gas - and includes detailed information on recent household conservation and retrofit activities. Section II contains brief descriptions of the major components of the NIECS data set. Discussions are included on the sample frame and the imputation procedures used in NIECS. There are also two extensive tables, giving detailed statistical and other information on most of the non-vehicle NIECS variables. Section III contains an assessment of the NIECS data, focusing on four areas: measurement error, sample design, imputation problems, and additional data needed to estimate appliance choice/use models. Section IV summarizes and concludes the report.

Potential market-size for renewables in the residential sector of Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Athar, G.R; Imtiaz, M.

2005-01-01

Renewable energy-sources can be used for meeting the energy-demand of various endues, like water-pumping for irrigation, process-heat for industries and desalination for potable water-supplies. However, the residential sector has the largest potential for renewable energy usage among all sectors of the economy. At present, the residential sector of Pakistan consumes some 26 million Tone of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) energy: with more than 6 MTOE in the form of commercial energy (electricity, natural gas, kerosene, LPG and coal) and about 20 MTOE in the form of non-commercial energy (wood, dung and crop-residues). Applied Systems Analysis Group (ASAG) has carried out a study to project the energy demand of Pakistan up to the year 2024-25, using an energy-demand model MAED. This model uses simulation technique to evaluate the energy-demand implications of a scenario, describing the assumed evolution of demographic parameters, economic activities, lifestyle of the population and technological improvements. The demographic targets of the Population-Policy of Pakistan and economic targets of Government of Pakistan have been adopted as the basis of our reference scenario. The study shows that the energy-demand of the residential sector will increase by a factor of 1.7, compared to the base-year 2001-2002. The residential sector will need 41. 9 MTOE energy, of which: (I) 5.9 MTOE (72.5 TWh) in the form of electricity to fulfill the energy-needs for lighting, cooling and other electric appliances, (II) 24.4 MTOE for cooking, (III) 5.7 MTOE for water heating, and (IV) 5.8 MTOE for space heating. In all these end-uses, renewable energy can make a contribution depending on the cost of energy, convenience of use and reliability of supply. Although, the government is vigorously pursuing a rural electrification program, a portion of residential sector, particularly in remote areas, will not be electrified even by 2024-25. The non-electrified houses will require 3 to 5 TWh of

Current gas storage R and D programmes at Gas Research Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shikari, Y.A.

1990-01-01

The Gas Research Institute (GRI) is currently involved in the development of concepts aimed at an enhancement of natural gas service to the consumer. In order to maintain the attractiveness of the gas options to industrial consumers and to reinforce the ''value-in-use'' of natural gas to residential as well as commercial customers, it is essential to develop efficient, economical, and safe means of reducing the ''cost-of-service'', including that of natural gas storage in underground formations. Specifically, research and development (R and D) is needed to explore ways to better utilize existing storage fields and also to develop new storage facilities at minimum cost. GRI is currently sponsoring research projects aimed at controlling gas migration in underground gas storage reservoirs, reducing base (or cushion) gas requirements, understanding the gas-gas phase mixing behaviour via laboratory experiments and reservoir models, developing cost-effective gas separation processes using membranes, and optimizing the operation and maintenance (O and M) costs of underground gas storage operations. This paper provides an overview of the GRI's Gas Storage R and D Programme and highlights key results achieved to date for selected research projects. (author). 16 refs, 6 figs, 3 tabs

Development of a Smart Residential Fire Protection System

OpenAIRE

Juhwan Oh; Zhongwei Jiang; Henry Panganiban

2013-01-01

Embedded system is applied for the development of smart residential fire detection and extinguishing system. Wireless communication capability is integrated into various fire sensors and alarm devices. The system activates the fire alarm to warn occupants, executes emergency and rescue calls to remote residents and fire-fighting facility in an intelligent way. The effective location of extra-sprinklers within the space of interest for the fire extinguishing system is also investigated. Actual...

Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brand, L. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States); Yee, S. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States); Baker, J. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States)

2015-02-01

In 2010, natural gas provided 54% of total residential space heating energy the U.S. on a source basis, or 3.5 Quadrillion Btu. Natural gas burned in furnaces accounted for 92% of that total, and boilers and other equipment made up the remainder. A better understanding of installed furnace performance is a key to energy savings for this significant energy usage. In this project, the U.S. Department of Energy Building America team Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit examined the impact that common installation practices and age-induced equipment degradation may have on the installed performance of natural gas furnaces over the life of the product, as measured by steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. The team identified 12 furnaces of various ages and efficiencies that were operating in residential homes in the Des Moines, Iowa, metropolitan area and worked with a local heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor to retrieve furnaces and test them at the Gas Technology Institute laboratory for steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. Prior to removal, system airflow, static pressure, equipment temperature rise, and flue loss measurements were recorded for each furnace as installed in the house.

Residential CCHP microgrid with load aggregator: Operation mode, pricing strategy, and optimal dispatch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Wei; Lu, Shuai; Wu, Zhi; Zhang, Xuesong; Zhou, Jinhui; Zhao, Bo; Wang, Jun

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A bilateral transaction mode for the residential CCHP microgrid is proposed. •An energy pricing strategy for the residential CCHP system is proposed. •A novel integrated demand response for the residential loads is proposed. •Two-stage operation optimization model for the CCHP microgrid is proposed. •Operations of typical days and annual scale of the CCHP microgrid are studied. -- Abstract: As the global energy crisis, environmental pollution, and global warming grow in intensity, increasing attention is being paid to combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems that realize high-efficiency cascade utilization of energy. This paper proposes a bilateral transaction mechanism between a residential CCHP system and a load aggregator (LA). The variable energy cost of the CCHP system is analyzed, based on which an energy pricing strategy for the CCHP system is proposed. Under this pricing strategy, the electricity price is constant, while the heat/cool price is ladder-shaped and dependent on the relationship between the electrical, heat, and cool loads. For the LA, an integrated demand response program is proposed that combines electricity-load shifting and a flexible heating/cooling supply, in which a thermodynamic model of buildings is used to determine the appropriate range of heating/cooling supply. Subsequently, a two-stage optimal dispatch model is proposed for the energy system that comprises the CCHP system and the LA. Case studies consisting of three scenarios (winter, summer, and excessive seasons) are delivered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the performance of the proposed pricing strategy is also evaluated by annual operation simulations.

Numerical simulations of enhanced gas recovery at the Zalezcze gas field in Poland confirm high CO2 storage capacity and mechanical integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimkowski, Lukasz; Nagy, Stanislaw; Papiernik, Bartosz; Orlic, Bogdan; Kempka, Thomas

2015-01-01

Natural gas from the Zalecze gas field located in the Fore-Sudetic Monocline of the Southern Permian Basin has been produced since November 1973, and continuous gas production led to a decrease in the initial reservoir pressure from 151 bar to about 22 bar until 2010. We investigated a prospective enhanced gas recovery operation at the Zalecze gas field by coupled numerical hydro-mechanical simulations to account for the CO 2 storage capacity, trapping efficiency and mechanical integrity of the reservoir, cap-rock and regional faults. Dynamic flow simulations carried out indicate a CO 2 storage capacity of 106.6 Mt with a trapping efficiency of about 43% (45.8 Mt CO 2 ) established after 500 years of simulation. Two independent strategies on the assessment of mechanical integrity were followed by two different modeling groups resulting in the implementation of field- to regional-scale hydro-mechanical simulation models. The simulation results based on application of different constitutive laws for the lithological units show deviations of 31% to 93% for the calculated maximum vertical displacements at the reservoir top. Nevertheless, results of both simulation strategies indicate that fault reactivation generating potential leakage pathways from the reservoir to shallower units is very unlikely due to the low fault slip tendency (close to zero) in the Zechstein cap-rocks. Consequently, our simulation results also emphasise that the supra- and sub-saliferous fault systems at the Zalecze gas field are independent and very likely not hydraulically connected. Based on our simulation results derived from two independent modeling strategies with similar simulation results on fault and cap-rock integrity, we conclude that the investigated enhanced gas recovery scheme is feasible, with a negligibly low risk of relevant fault reactivation or formation fluid leakage through the Zechstein cap-rocks. (authors)

12 CFR 541.23 - Residential real estate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Residential real estate. 541.23 Section 541.23... AFFECTING FEDERAL SAVINGS ASSOCIATIONS § 541.23 Residential real estate. The terms residential real estate... home used in part for business); (c) Other real estate used for primarily residential purposes other...

International market integration for natural gas? A cointegration analysis of prices in Europe, North America and Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siliverstovs, Boriss; L'Hegaret, Guillaume; Neumann, Anne; Hirschlausen, Christian von

2005-01-01

This paper investigates the degree of integration of natural gas markets in Europe, North America and Japan in the time period between the early 1990s and 2004. The relationship between international gas market prices and their relation to the oil price are explored through principal components analysis and Johansen likelihood-based cointegration procedure. Both of them show a high level of natural gas market integration within Europe, between the European and Japanese markets as well as within the North American market. At the same time the obtained results suggest that the European (respectively, Japanese) and the North American markets were not integrated. (Author)

Sustainable development: the contributions of gas technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cappe, D.; Buchet, P.; Muller, T.; Millet, B.

2007-01-01

The aim of this workshop was to debate the following questions in relation with sustainable development: what are the contributions of gas technology to the short- and medium-term mastery of demand in residential, tertiary and industry markets? What are the efficient applications of gas technology and what are the energy saving potentialities by type of market? Three participants present their experience in this domain. (J.S.)

Price and expenditure elasticities of residential energy demand during urbanization: An empirical analysis based on the household-level survey data in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Chuanwang; Ouyang, Xiaoling

2016-01-01

Urbanization, one of the most obvious characteristics of economic growth in China, has an apparent “lock-in effect” on residential energy consumption pattern. It is expected that residential sector would become a major force that drives China's energy consumption after urbanization process. We estimate price and expenditure elasticities of residential energy demand using data from China's Residential Energy Consumption Survey (CRECS) that covers households at different income levels and from different regional and social groups. Empirical results from the Almost Ideal Demand System model are in accordance with the basic expectations: the demands for electricity, natural gas and transport fuels are inelastic in the residential sector due to the unreasonable pricing mechanism. We further investigate the sensitivities of different income groups to prices of the three types of energy. Policy simulations indicate that rationalizing energy pricing mechanism is an important guarantee for energy sustainable development during urbanization. Finally, we put forward suggestions on energy pricing reform in the residential sector based on characteristics of China's undergoing urbanization process and the current energy consumption situations.

The residential segregation of detailed Hispanic and Asian groups in the United States: 1980-2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Iceland

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Racial and ethnic diversity continues to grow in communities across the United States,raising questions about the extent to which different ethnic groups will become residentially integrated. Objective: While a number of studies have examined the residential patterns of pan-ethnic groups, our goal is to examine the segregation of several Asian and Hispanic ethnic groups - Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadorans, Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. We gauge the segregation of each group from several alternative reference groups using two measures over the 1980 to 2010 period. Results: We find that the dissimilarity of Hispanics and Asians from other groups generally held steady or declined, though, because most Hispanic and Asian groups are growing, interaction with Whites also often declined. Our analyses also indicate that pan-ethnic segregation indexes do not always capture the experience of specific groups. Among Hispanics, Mexicans are typically less residentially segregated (as measured using the dissimilarity index from Whites, Blacks, Asians, and other Hispanics than are other Hispanic-origin groups. Among Asian ethnic groups, Japanese and Filipinos tend to have lower levels of dissimilarity from Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics than other Asian groups. Examining different dimensions of segregation also indicates that dissimilarity scores alone often do not capture to what extent various ethnic groups are actually sharing neighborhoods with each other. Finally, color lines vary across groups in some important ways, even as the dominant trend has been toward reduced racial and ethnic residential segregation over time. Conclusions: The overarching trend is that ethnic groups are becoming more residentially integrated,suggestive of assimilation, though there is significant variation across ethnic groups.

Impact of window selection on the energy performance of residential buildings in South Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ihm, Pyeongchan; Park, Lyool; Krarti, Moncef; Seo, Donghyun

2012-01-01

With rapidly increasing energy consumption attributed to residential buildings in South Korea, there is a need to update requirements of the building energy code in order to improve the energy performance of buildings. This paper provides some guidelines to improve the building energy code to better select glazing types that minimize total energy use of residential buildings in Korea. In particular, detailed energy simulation analyses coupled with economical and environmental assessments are carried out to assess the thermal, economical, and environmental impacts of glazing thermal characteristics as well as window sizes associated with housing units in various representative climates within South Korea. The results of the analyses have clearly indicated that selecting glazing with low solar heat gain coefficient is highly beneficial especially for large windows and for mild climates. In particular, it is found that using any double-pane low-e glazing would provide better performance for windows in residential buildings than the clear double-pane glazing, currently required by the Korean building energy code. - Highlights: ► Results show that windows can be energy neutral for residential buildings. ► In Korea, double-pane low-e glazing would provide better energy performance. ► Double low-e clear filled with argon gas glazing is the most cost-effective.

The impact of northern gas on North American gas infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letwin, S.

2004-01-01

The three business units that Enbridge operates are crude oil pipelines; natural gas liquids (NGL) transportation; and gas transmission and distribution. The need for more infrastructure will increase as the demand for natural gas increases. This presentation outlined the issues that surround and sometimes impede infrastructure development. It also emphasized the need for northern gas supply at a time when conventional natural gas supplies are decreasing and demand is growing. Additional LNG supply is required along with new supply from Alaska, Mackenzie Delta and the east coast. The issue of a secure source of supply was discussed along with northern gas expectations. It is expected that Mackenzie Delta gas (1.2 bcf/day) will be available by 2008 to 2010 and Alaska North Slope gas (4 bcf/day) will be available from 2012 to 2014. Gas demand by industrial, residential, commercial and power generation sectors across North America was illustrated. The challenge lies in creating infrastructure to move the supply to where it is most in demand. General infrastructure issues were reviewed, such as prices, regulatory streamlining, lead times, stakeholder issues and supporting infrastructure. 19 figs

Converting Energy Subsidies to Investments: Scaling-Up Deep Energy Retrofit in Residential Sector of Ukraine

Science.gov (United States)

Denysenko, Artur

After collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited vast and inefficient infrastructure. Combination of historical lack of transparency, decades without reforms, chronical underinvestment and harmful cross-subsidization resulted in accumulation of energy problems, which possess significant threat to economic prosperity and national security. High energy intensity leads to excessive use of energy and heavy reliance on energy import to meet domestic demand. Energy import, in turn, results in high account balance deficit and heavy burden on the state finances. A residential sector, which accounts for one third of energy consumption and is the highest consumer of natural gas, is particularly challenging to reform. This thesis explores energy consumption of the residential sector of Ukraine. Using energy decomposition method, recent changes in energy use is analyzed. Energy intensity of space heating in the residential sector of Ukraine is compared with selected EU member states with similar climates. Energy efficiency potential is evaluated for whole residential sector in general and for multistory apartment buildings connected to the district heating in particular. Specifically, investments in thermal modernization of multistory residential buildings will result in almost 45TWh, or 3.81 Mtoe, of annual savings. Required investments for deep energy retrofit of multistory buildings is estimated as much as $19 billion in 2015 prices. Experience of energy subsidy reforms as well as lessons from energy retrofit policy from selected countries is analyzed. Policy recommendations to turn energy subsidies into investments in deep energy retrofit of residential sector of Ukraine are suggested. Regional dimension of existing energy subsidies and capital subsidies required for energy retrofit is presented.

Residential energy use and conservation in Venezuela: Results and implications of a household survey in Caracas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueroa, M.J.; Ketoff, A.; Masera, O.

1992-10-01

This document presents the final report of a study of residential energy use in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. It contains the findings of a household energy-use survey held in Caracas in 1988 and examines options for introducing energy conservation measures in the Venezuelan residential sector. Oil exports form the backbone of the Venezuelan economy. Improving energy efficiency in Venezuela will help free domestic oil resources that can be sold to the rest of the world. Energy conservation will also contribute to a faster recovery of the economy by reducing the need for major investments in new energy facilities, allowing the Venezuelan government to direct its financial investments towards other areas of development. Local environmental benefits will constitute an important additional by-product of implementing energy-efficiency policies in Venezuela. Caracas`s residential sector shows great potential for energy conservation. The sector is characterized by high saturation levels of major appliances, inefficiency of appliances available in the market, and by careless patterns of energy use. Household energy use per capita average 6.5 GJ/per year which is higher than most cities in developing countries; most of this energy is used for cooking. Electricity accounts for 41% of all energy use, while LPG and natural gas constitute the remainder. Specific options for inducing energy conservation and energy efficiency in Caracas`s residential sector include energy-pricing policies, fuel switching, particularly from electricity to gas, improving the energy performance of new appliances and customer information. To ensure the accomplishment of an energy-efficiency strategy, a concerted effort by energy users, manufacturers, utility companies, government agencies, and research institutions will be needed.

The residential tertiary sector - Technical Guidebook nr. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardinal, Marc; Bejanin Emmanuel; Berly Frederic; Blaser Jocelyne; Mesmain Jean-Eric; Yalamas Pierrick; Ouradou Frederic; Riey Benedicte; Chene-Pezot, Anne

2011-06-01

After having recalled objectives defined within the Building Plan of the Grenelle de l'Environnement, this guide aims at providing local communities with a relatively precise view of the energy consumption of buildings (residential and office buildings) on their territory in order to define actions to be undertaken, with keys to integrate these actions into a regional energy planning, and with tools for the follow-up of equipment, techniques, and tax or regulatory arrangements aimed at a better energy efficiency in order to be able to assess the impact of undertaken actions and to steer their implementation. Thus, the different parts of this guide describe how to perform an energy assessment in the residential-tertiary sector (indication of reference data, assessment of additional data), how to plan a regional energy renovation (definition of objectives, identification of associated needs, assessment of externalities), and how to perform a follow-up of energy efficiency (existing monitoring organisations and bodies, networking of actors and sharing of good practices, information sites)

Air Quality, Human Health and Climate Implications of China's Synthetic Natural Gas Development

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Y.; Mauzerall, D. L.; Wagner, F.; Smith, K. R.; Peng, W.; Yang, J.; Zhu, T.

2016-12-01

Facing severe air pollution and growing dependence on natural gas imports, the Chinese government is planning an enormous increase in synthetic natural gas (SNG) production. Although displacement of coal with SNG benefits air quality, it increases carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and thus worsens climate change. Primarily due to variation in air pollutant and CO2 emission factors as well as energy efficiencies across sectors and regions, the replacement of coal with SNG results in varying degrees of air quality and adverse climate impacts. Here we conduct an integrated assessment to estimate the air quality, human health, and adverse climate impacts of various sectoral and regional SNG substitution strategies for coal in China in 2020. We find that using all planned production of SNG in the residential sector results in an annual decrease of approximately 43,000 (22,000 to 63,000) outdoor-air-pollution-associated Chinese premature mortalities, with ranges determined by the low and high estimates of relative risks. If changes in indoor/household air pollution were also included the decrease would be larger. By comparison, this is a 10 and 60 times greater reduction in premature mortalities than obtained when the SNG displaces coal in the industrial or power sectors, respectively. Deploying SNG as a coal replacement in the industrial or power sectors also has a 4-5 times higher carbon penalty than utilization in the residential sector due to inefficiencies in current household coal use. If carbon capture and storage (CCS) is used in SNG production, substituting SNG for coal can provide both air quality and climate co-benefits in all scenarios. However, even with CCS, SNG emits 22-40% (depending on end-use) more CO2 than the same amount of conventional gas. For existing SNG projects, we find displacing coal with SNG in the residential sector provides the largest air quality and health benefits with the smallest carbon penalties of deployment in any sector.

Acetone-butanol-ethanol from sweet sorghum juice by an immobilized fermentation-gas stripping integration process.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Di; Wang, Yong; Chen, Changjing; Qin, Peiyong; Miao, Qi; Zhang, Changwei; Li, Ping; Tan, Tianwei

2016-07-01

In this study, sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) was used as the substrate in a simplified ABE fermentation-gas stripping integration process without nutrients supplementation. The sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) after squeezing the fermentable juice was used as the immobilized carrier. The results indicated that the productivity of ABE fermentation process was improved by gas stripping integration. A total 24g/L of ABE solvents was obtained from 59.6g/L of initial sugar after 80h of fermentation with gas stripping. Then, long-term of fed-batch fermentation with continuous gas stripping was further performed. 112.9g/L of butanol, 44.1g/L of acetone, 9.5g/L of ethanol (total 166.5g/L of ABE) was produced in overall 312h of fermentation. At the same time, concentrated ABE product was obtained in the condensate of gas stripping. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying power electronics to residential HVAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulfstede, L.

1991-01-01

This paper outlines several of the market and application issues bearing on the economics residential variable speed air conditioners and heat pumps. Technical details of capacity modulized systems have been avoided, along with design issues and tradeoffs involving power semiconductors, motor torque and speed control strategies- and silicon integration for these applications. The intention is to provoke new creative technical solutions but perhaps more importantly, to involve new marketing strategies that will develop the mature potential of air conditioning products containing power electronics to enable them to generate the tough HVAC market, competing successfully against conventional systems

Steady-state analysis of the integrated natural gas and electric power system with bi-directional energy conversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeng, Qing; Fang, Jiakun; Li, Jinghua

2016-01-01

Nowadays, the electric power system and natural gas network are becoming increasingly coupled and interdependent. A harmonized integration of natural gas and electricity network with bi-directional energy conversion is expected to accommodate high penetration levels of renewables in terms of system...... flexibility. This work focuses on the steady-state analysis of the integrated natural gas and electric power system with bi-directional energy conversion. A unified energy flow formulation is developed to describe the nodal balance and branch flow in both systems and it is solved with the Newton......–Raphson method. Both the unification of units and the per-unit system are proposed to simplify the system description and to enhance the computation efficiency. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by analyzing an IEEE-9 test system integrated with a 7-node natural gas network. Later, time...

Sustainable Renovation of Residential Buildings and the Landlord/Tenant Dilemma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ástmarsson, Björn; Jensen, Per Anker; Maslesa, Esmir

2013-01-01

solutions can help solve the landlord/tenant dilemma in relation to sustainable renovation of residential buildings, and how the general awareness of sustainable renovation can be increased. Particular focus is on whether tools like energy performance contracting and energy labeling can help solve......The landlord/tenant dilemma arises when the interests of landlords and tenants misalign and is one of the greatest barriers hindering the development of sustainable renovation of residential buildings in Europe. The aim of this research is to investigate how regulatory changes and contractual...... be overcome with a package solution. In the Danish national context the package solution must consist of legislative changes, financial incentives and better dissemination of information. Therefore, an array of different tools must be integrated and used in cooperation to overcome the dilemma....

Characteristics of residential energy consumption in China: Findings from a household survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Xinye; Wei, Chu; Qin, Ping; Guo, Jin; Yu, Yihua; Song, Feng; Chen, Zhanming

2014-01-01

A comprehensive survey of 1450 households in 26 Chinese provinces was undertaken in 2012 to identify the characteristics and potential driving forces of residential energy consumption in China. The survey covers six areas: household characteristics, dwelling characteristics, kitchen and home appliances, space heating and cooling, residential transportation, and electricity billing, metering, and pricing options. The results show that a typical Chinese household in 2012 consumed 1426 kilograms standard coal equivalent, which is approximately 44 percent of the 2009 level in the United States and 38 percent of the 2008 level in the EU-27. District heating, natural gas, and electricity are three major residential energy sources, while space heating, cooking, and water heating are three major end-use activities. Moreover, the results suggest a large urban–rural gap in terms of energy sources and purpose of usage. Commercial energy is used mainly for space heating in urban areas, while biomass dominates mainly for cooking purpose in rural areas. The survey results can help decision makers and scholars identify energy conservation opportunities, and evaluate the effectiveness of energy policies. - Highlights: • We develop the first comprehensive survey of residential energy consumption in China. • A typical Chinese household in 2012 consumed 1426 kilograms coal equivalent. • Space heating accounts for half of energy demand. • A large rural–urban gap exists in terms of energy sources and end-use activities. • Results reveal challenges and opportunities for China's energy policy

Residential energy consumption across different population groups: Comparative analysis for Latino and non-Latino households in U.S.A.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poyer, D.A.; Teotia, A.P.S. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Henderson, L. [Univ. of Baltimore, MD (United States)

1998-05-01

Residential energy cost, an important part of the household budget, varies significantly across different population groups. In the United States, researchers have conducted many studies of household fuel consumption by fuel type -- electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) -- and by geographic areas. The results of past research have also demonstrated significant variation in residential energy use across various population groups, including white, black, and Latino. However, research shows that residential energy demand by fuel type for Latinos, the fastest-growing population group in the United States, has not been explained by economic and noneconomic factors in any available statistical model. This paper presents a discussion of energy demand and expenditure patterns for Latino and non-Latino households in the United States. The statistical model developed to explain fuel consumption and expenditures for Latino households is based on Stone and Geary`s linear expenditure system model. For comparison, the authors also developed models for energy consumption in non-Latino, black, and nonblack households. These models estimate consumption of and expenditures for electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and LPG by various households at the national level. The study revealed significant variations in the patterns of fuel consumption for Latinos and non-Latinos. The model methodology and results of this research should be useful to energy policymakers in government and industry, researchers, and academicians who are concerned with economic and energy issues related to various population groups.

24 CFR 40.2 - Definition of “residential structure”.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... OWNED RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES § 40.2 Definition of “residential structure”. (a) As used in this part, the term residential structure means a residential structure (other than a privately owned residential structure and a residential structure on a military reservation): (1) Constructed or altered by or on behalf...

Gas attack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

North, D.

1977-08-01

Consumersfirst Ltd. is reacting to deregulation with a massive advertising campaign. The gas utility is owned by Consumers Gas Energy Inc., and is struggling to hold onto its 35 per cent share of Ontario`s two million residential natural gas buyers. An industry analyst pointed out that deregulation could mean that Consumers` Gas has much to lose: customers, market share, control of the assets and control of the process. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) however, had specified that Consumersfirst is not to proceed with paperwork to sign up new customers until the OEB issues a draft code-of-conduct that would prevent cross-subsidizing between regulated franchise holders. This has now been done, and several heavyweights such as Calgary-based Suncor Energy Inc., Union Gas of Chatham, Ontario, and the US-based Enron Corp. of Houston, have started campaigns to sign up potential consumers. It is predicted that brand loyalty will be a factor, but in the end, like long distance telephone rates, it will all come down to pricing, and a winning formula is not easy to find.

Integration of Small Solar tower Systems into Distributed Power Islands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romero, M.; Marcos, M. J.; Tellez, F. M.; Blanco, M.; Fernandez, V.; Baonza, F.; Berger, S. [Ciemat, Madrid (Spain)

2000-07-01

One of the short-term priorities for renewable energies in Europe is their integration for local power supply into communities and energy islands (blocks of buildings, new neighborhoods in residential areas, shopping centers, hospitals, recreational areas, eco-paks, small rural areas or isolated ones such as islands or mountain communities). Following this strategy, the integration of small tower fields into so-called MIUS (Modular Integrated Utility Systems) is proposed. This application strongly influences field concepts leadings to modular multi-tower systems able to more closely track demand, meet reliability requirements with fewer megawatts of installed power and spread construction costs over time after output has begum. In addition, integration into single-cycle high-efficiency gas turbines plus waste-heat applications clearly increments the solar share. The chief questions are whether solar towers can be redesigned for such distributed markets and the keys to their feasibility. This paper includes the design and performance analysis of a 1.36-MW plant and integration in the MIUS system, as well as the expected cost of electricity and a sensitivity analysis of the small tower plant's performance with design parameters like heliostat configuration and tower height. A practical application is analyzed for a shopping center with 85% power demand during day-time by using a hybrid solar tower and a gas turbine producing electricity and waste heat for hot water and heating and cooling of spaces. The operation mode proposed is covering night demand with power from the grid and solar-gas power island mode during 14 hours daytime with a maximum power production of 1.36 MW. (Author) 26 refs.

Integration of Small Solar Tower Systems Into Distributed Power Islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, M.; Marcos, M. J.; Tellez, F. M.; Blanco, M.; Fernandez, V.; Baonza, F.; Berger, S.

1999-01-01

One of the short-term priorities for renewable energies in Europe is their integration for local power supply into communities and energy islands (blocks of buildings, new neighborhoods in residential areas, shopping centers, hospitals, recreational areas, eco-parks, small rural areas or isolated ones such as islands or mountain communities). Following this strategy, the integration of small tower fields into so-called MIUS (Modular Integrated Utility Systems) is proposed. This application strongly influences field concepts leading to modular multi-tower systems able to more closely track demand, meet reliability requirements with fewer megawatts of installed power and spread construction costs over time after output has begun. In addition, integration into single-cycle high-efficiency gas turbines plus waste-heat applications clearly increments the solar share. The chief questions are whether solar towers can be redesigned for such distributed markets and the keys to their feasibility. This paper includes the design and performance analysis of a 1.36-MW plant and integration in the MIUS system, as well as the expected cost of electricity and a sensitivity analysis of the small tower plant's performance with design parameters like heliostats configuration and tower height. A practical application is analyzed for a shopping center with 85% power demand during day-time by using a hybrid solar tower and a gas turbine producing electricity and waste heat for hot water and heating and cooling of spaces. The operation mode proposed is covering night demand with power from the grid and solar-gas power island mode during 14 hours daytime with a maximum power production of 1.36 MW. (Author) 26 refs

Second life battery energy storage system for residential demand response service

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saez-de-Ibarra, Andoni; Martinez-Laserna, Egoitz; Koch-Ciobotaru, Cosmin

2015-01-01

vehicles, during their main first life application, for providing residential demand response service. The paper considers the decayed characteristics of these batteries and optimizes the rating of such a second life battery energy storage system (SLBESS) for maximizing the economic benefits of the user......The integration of renewable energies and the usage of battery energy storage systems (BESS) into the residential buildings opens the possibility for minimizing the electricity bill for the end-user. This paper proposes the use of batteries that have already been aged while powering electric......'s energy consumption during a period of one year. Furthermore, simulations were performed considering real data of PV generation, consumption, prices taken from the Spanish market and costs of battery and photovoltaic systems....

Module Embedded Micro-inverter Smart Grid Ready Residential Solar Electric System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agamy, Mohammed [GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY (United States)

2015-10-27

The “Module Embedded Micro-inverter Smart Grid Ready Residential Solar Electric System” program is focused on developing innovative concepts for residential photovoltaic (PV) systems with the following objectives: to create an Innovative micro-inverter topology that reduces the cost from the best in class micro-inverter and provides high efficiency (>96% CEC - California Energy Commission), and 25+ year warranty, as well as reactive power support; integrate micro-inverter and PV module to reduce system price by at least $0.25/W through a) accentuating dual use of the module metal frame as a large area heat spreader reducing operating temperature, and b) eliminating redundant wiring and connectors; and create micro-inverter controller handles smart grid and safety functions to simplify implementation and reduce cost.

Michigan residential heating oil and propane price survey: 1995-1996 heating season. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriarty, C.

1996-05-01

This report summarizes the results of a survey of residential No. 2 distillate fuel (home heating oil) and liquefied petroleum gas (propane) prices over the 1995--1996 heating season in Michigan. The Michigan's Public Service Commission (MPSC) conducted the survey under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA). This survey was funded in part by a grant from the DOE. From October 1995 through March 1996, the MPSC surveyed participating distributors by telephone for current residential retail home heating oil and propane prices. The MPSC transmitted the data via a computer modem to the EIA using the Petroleum Electronic Data Reporting Option (PEDRO). Survey results were published in aggregate on the MPSC World Wide Web site at http://ermisweb.state.mi.us/shopp. The page was updated with both residential and wholesale prices immediately following the transmission of the data to the EIA. The EIA constructed the survey using a sample of Michigan home heating oil and propane retailers. The sample accounts for different sales volumes, geographic location, and sources of primary supply

Simultaneous integrated optimal energy flow of electricity, gas, and heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabanpour-Haghighi, Amin; Seifi, Ali Reza

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Integration of electrical, natural gas, and district heating networks is studied. • Part-load performances of units are considered in modeling. • A modified teaching–learning based optimization is used to solve the problem. • Results show the advantages of the integrated optimization approach. - Abstract: In this paper, an integrated approach to optimize electrical, natural gas, and district heating networks simultaneously is studied. Several interdependencies between these infrastructures are considered in details including a nonlinear part-load performance for boilers and CHPs besides the valve-point effect for generators. A novel approach based on selecting an appropriate set of state-variables for the problem is proposed that eliminates the addition of any new variable to convert irregular equations into a regular set while the optimization problem is still solvable. As a large optimization problem, the optimal solution cannot be achieved by conventional mathematical techniques. Hence, it is better to use evolutionary algorithms instead. In this paper, the well-known modified teaching–learning based optimization algorithm is utilized to solve the multi-period optimal power flow problem of multi-carrier energy networks. The proposed scheme is implemented and applied to a typical multi-carrier energy network. Results are compared with some other conventional heuristic algorithms and the applicability and superiority of the proposed methodology is verified

Quebec residential electricity demand: a microeconometric approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, J.T.; Bolduc, D.; Belanger, D.

1996-01-01

An economic analysis of Quebec residential electricity demand was studied by micro-simulation models. These structural models describe all components which lead to decisions upon durable holdings and electric appliance usage. The demand for space and water heating systems was evaluated. Recent price change in favour of energy sources other than electricity were taken into account. Price and income elasticity ratios were found to be low, as expected when estimating short term use. The role played by socio-economic variables on the choice of space-water heating systems and electricity use was also examined. Recent conversions have indicated a trend toward preference by households in favour of natural gas or oil over electricity. 18 refs., 5 tabs., 1 fig

Environmental and energy efficiency evaluation of residential gas and heat pump heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganji, A.R.

1993-01-01

Energy efficiency and source air pollutant emission factors of gas heaters, gas engine heat pumps, and electric heat pumps for domestic heating have been evaluated and compared. The analysis shows that with the present state of technology, gas engine heat pumps have the highest energy efficiency followed by electric heat pumps and then gas heaters. Electric heat pumps produce more than twice as much NO x , and comparable CO 2 and CO per unit of useful heating energy compared to natural gas heaters. CO production per unit of useful heating energy from gas engine heat pumps without any emission control is substantially higher than electric heat pumps and natural gas heaters. NO x production per unit of useful heating energy from natural gas engine heat pumps (using lean burn technology) without any emission control is about the same as effective NO x production from electric heat pumps. Gas engine heat pumps produce about one-half CO 2 compared to electric heat pumps

The Integration Aspects of Activities of the Companies in the Oil and Gas Industry Sector in the Context of Globalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panevnyk Tetiana M.

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The article considers both the dynamics and the structure of oil and gas production in Ukraine, situation of the oil and gas companies at the current stage of globalization of the world economy have been covered. The main problems impacting the functioning of the domestic industry sector have been identified, including the lack of effectiveness of the existing integration processes. The world trends and patterns of integration processes have been considered. It has been determined that the oil and gas industry sector leaders are the multinational companies that actively use integration in their practices. The current trends in creating integration linkages in different parts of the process chain in the oil and gas industry have been identified. Influence by large corporations of the innovative type on the creation of a favorable investment climate has been confirmed, as well as conducting their own policies of expansion in the overseas markets. On the basis of studying the foreign experience, expediency of development of the oil and gas sector enterprises by activating integration processes has been substantiated. Priorities and possibilities for further functioning of enterprises in the the oil and gas industry sector have been identified

Noise characterization of oil and gas operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Radtke, Cameron; Autenrieth, Daniel A; Lipsey, Tiffany; Brazile, William J

2017-08-01

In cooperation with The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, researchers at Colorado State University performed area noise monitoring at 23 oil and gas sites throughout Northern Colorado. The goals of this study were to: (1) measure and compare the noise levels for the different phases of oil and gas development sites; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of noise barriers; and (3) determine if noise levels exceeded the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission noise limits. The four phases of oil and gas development include drilling, hydraulic fracturing, completion and production. Noise measurements were collected using the A- and C-weighted sound scales. Octave band analysis was also performed to characterize the frequency spectra of the noise measurements.  Noise measurements were collected using noise dosimeters and a hand-held sound-level meter at specified distances from the development sites in each cardinal direction. At 350 ft (107 m), drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and completion sites without noise barriers exceeded the maximum permissible noise levels for residential and commercial zones (55 dBA and 60 dBA, respectively). In addition, drilling and hydraulic fracturing sites with noise barriers exceeded the maximum permissible noise level for residential zones (55 dBA). However, during drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and completion operations, oil producers are allowed an exception to the noise permissible limits in that they only must comply with the industrial noise limit (80 dBA). It is stated in Rule 604.c.(2)A. that: "Operations involving pipeline or gas facility installation or maintenance, the use of a drilling rig, completion rig, workover rig, or stimulation is subject to the maximum permissible noise levels for industrial zones (80dBA)." [8] Production sites were within the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission permissible noise level criteria for all zones. At 350 ft (107 m) from the noise source, all drilling

Natural gas as an integrating element for Latin America - An opportunity for Venezuela?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez Cruz, Diego

2010-09-15

Summary This paper offers an analysis of the natural gas situation in Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina, including countries of the Caribbean; analyzes the attitude of potential buyers of this energy source and the possibilities of each country receiving natural gas from Venezuela based on its reserves and production, highlighting the most outstanding projects being undertaken in some of those countries; makes recommendations in the area of energy, with emphasis on natural gas; and, lastly, presents an epilog describing Venezuela's role in an integration process in Latin America.

Natural gas supply and demand outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGill, C.B.

1998-01-01

The outlook for U.S. natural gas supply and demand in the residential, commercial, industrial/cogeneration, electricity and transportation sectors for 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 was presented. A summary of gas well completions from 1990 to 1997 was also provided. The Canadian natural gas resource was estimated at 184 trillion cubic feet. In 1996, Canada produced 5.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, half of which was exported to the U.S. New pipeline projects have been proposed to transport natural gas from eastern offshore areas and the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. A table representing U.S. and Canada gas trade from 1990 to 1997 and a map of proposed Canadian and U.S. natural gas pipeline routes were also included. Looking into the future, this speaker predicted continued volatility in natural gas prices. 9 tabs., 9 figs

Energy and exergy utilizations of the Chinese urban residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yanfeng; Li, Yang; Wang, Dengjia; Liu, Jiaping

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The energy and exergy use in China’s urban residential sector between 2002 and 2011 are analyzed. • The primary locations and causes of energy and exergy losses in the CURS are identified. • The large gap between the energy and exergy efficiencies implies great potential for energy saving. • The exergy utilization can be improved by using appropriate technology, management and policy. - Abstract: In this paper, the energy and exergy utilizations in the Chinese urban residential sector (CURS) are analyzed by considering the energy and exergy flows for the years between 2002 and 2011. The energy and exergy efficiencies of this sector are calculated to examine the potential for advancing the ‘true’ energy efficiency and determine the real energy losses. The results demonstrate large differences between the overall energy efficiencies (62.8–70.2%) and the exergy efficiencies (11.0–12.2%) for the years analyzed. The sizable gap between the energy and exergy efficiencies implies a high potential for energy savings in the CURS. Future energy saving strategies should pay more attention to the improvement in exergy efficiencies. Moreover, it is found that direct fuel use constituted the primary exergy losses of the CURS; coal-fired boiler heating systems cause approximately 35% of the total exergy losses. Gas stoves, cogeneration systems, coal stoves and gas water heaters constitute 15.3%, 15%, 5.5% and 4.9% of the total exergy losses, respectively

The capacity for integrated community energy solutions policies to reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bataille, C.; Goldberg, S.; Sharp, J.; Melton, N.; Peters, J.; Wolinetz, M. [Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Miller, E. [University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Cavens, D. [University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2010-08-26

The implementation of policies promoting integrated urban energy solutions (ICES) could allow a reduction in Canada's urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The concept and its related policies impact all urban sectors of the economy, such as residential, commercial, urban and inter-city personal transportation, freight transportation, waste and water. ICES policies are considered feasible and necessary, and many cities around the world, like Stockholm and Utrecht, have implemented them successfully. Sustainable land use policies should be the first to be developed since all urban form, transportation, and energy use decisions are made within the framework they generate. In the long term, moderate to aggressive ICES policies generate reductions of GHG emission and energy use but also an increase of 0.3-0.9% of the GDP. Aggressive ICES policies also allow a reduction in the structural unemployment and an increase of the number of jobs. While the effects of the implementation of targeted abatement policies such as the carbon tax or technology regulations are observed within a few years, ICES produce effects on a longer term. In the short term, they allow the release of money that could be spent by households to reduce the economic burden generated by abatement policies. In the longer term, they allow reductions to take over the effects of the short term policies, taking into consideration the increasing size of the population and the economy. Therefore, ICES policies seem to be an important part of comprehensive policy efforts intending to satisfy Canada's energy use and GHG emissions objectives. 218 refs., 49 tabs., 41 figs.

Sorption of organic gases in residential bedrooms andbathrooms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singer, B.C.; Hodgson, A.T.; Hotchi, T.; Ming, K.Y.; Sextro,R.G.; Wood, E.E.; Brown, N.J.

2005-01-05

Experiments were conducted to characterize organic gas sorption in residential bedrooms (n=4), bathrooms (n=2), and a furnished test chamber. Rooms were studied ''as-is'' with material surfaces and furnishings unaltered. Surface materials were characterized and areas quantified. Experiments included rapid volatilization of a volatile organic compound (VOC) mixture with the room closed and sealed for a 5-h Adsorb phase, followed by 30-min Flush and 2-h closed-room Desorb phases. The mixture included n-alkanes, aromatics, glycol ethers, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, dichlorobenzene, and organophosphorus compounds. Measured gas-phase concentrations were fit to three variations of a mathematical model that considers sorption occurring at one surface sink and one potential embedded sink. The 2-parameter sink model tracked measurements for most compounds, but improved fits were obtained for some VOCs with a 3-parameter sink-diffusion or a 4-parameter two-sink model. Sorptive partitioning and initial adsorption rates increased with decreasing vapor pressure within each chemical class.

12 CFR 541.16 - Improved residential real estate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Improved residential real estate. 541.16... REGULATIONS AFFECTING FEDERAL SAVINGS ASSOCIATIONS § 541.16 Improved residential real estate. The term improved residential real estate means residential real estate containing offsite or other improvements...

Modelling long term energy consumption of French residential sector - improving behavioral realism and simulating ambitious scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allibe, Benoit

2012-01-01

This thesis aims to integrate components of an economic model of the behaviors of households in a technological model of French residential sector energy consumption dynamics and to analyze the consequences of this integration on the results of long-term residential energy consumption simulations (2030-2050). The results of this work highlight significant differences between the actual household space heating energy consumptions and those estimated by engineering models. These differences are largely due to the elasticity of thermal comfort demand to thermal comfort price. Our improved model makes it possible to conjointly integrate the concepts of price elasticity and rebound effect (the increase in energy service level following an improvement in energy performance of the equipment providing the service) in a daily behavior model. Regarding space heating consumption, the consequences of this behavioral adaptation - combined with some technical defects - are a significant reduction of the technical and behavioral energy saving potentials (while effective daily use of energy is generally lower than predicted by engineering models) at a national level. This implies that mid and long-term national energy policy targets (a 38% drop in primary energy consumption by 2020 and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of 4 by 2050 compared to the 1990 level) will be harder to reach than previously expected for the residential sector. These results also imply that a strong reduction in carbon emissions cannot be achieved solely through the diffusion of efficient technologies and energy conservation behavior but also requires to significantly lower the average carbon content of residential space heating energy through the generalized use of wood energy. The second issue addressed in this thesis is the influence of the resolution of a techno-economic model (i.e. its ability to represent the various values that a variable can have within the modeled system) on its

Experimental investigation of integrated refrigeration system (IRS) with gas engine, compression chiller and absorption chiller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Z.G.

2008-01-01

An integrated refrigeration system (IRS) with a gas engine, a vapor-compression chiller and an absorption chiller is set up and tested. The vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is operated directly by the gas engine. The waste heat from the gas engine operates the absorption refrigeration cycle, which provides additional cooling. The performance of the IRS is described. The cooling capacity of the IRS is about 596 kW, and primary energy ratio (PER) reaches 1.84 at air-conditioning rated conditions. The refrigerating capacity of the prototype increased and PER of prototype decreased with the increase of the gas engine speed. The gas engine speed was preferably regulated at part load condition in order to operate the prototype at high-energy efficiency. The refrigerating capacity and PER of the prototype increased with the increase of the outlet temperature of chilled water or the decrease of the inlet temperature of cooling water. The integrated refrigeration chiller in this work saves running costs as compared to the conventional refrigeration system by using the waste heat

An Integrated Approach to Water-Energy Nexus in Shale-Gas Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fadhil Y. Al-Aboosi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Shale gas production is associated with significant usage of fresh water and discharge of wastewater. Consequently, there is a necessity to create proper management strategies for water resources in shale gas production and to integrate conventional energy sources (e.g., shale gas with renewables (e.g., solar energy. The objective of this study is to develop a design framework for integrating water and energy systems including multiple energy sources, the cogeneration process and desalination technologies in treating wastewater and providing fresh water for shale gas production. Solar energy is included to provide thermal power directly to a multi-effect distillation plant (MED exclusively (to be more feasible economically or indirect supply through a thermal energy storage system. Thus, MED is driven by direct or indirect solar energy and excess or direct cogeneration process heat. The proposed thermal energy storage along with the fossil fuel boiler will allow for the dual-purpose system to operate at steady-state by managing the dynamic variability of solar energy. Additionally, electric production is considered to supply a reverse osmosis plant (RO without connecting to the local electric grid. A multi-period mixed integer nonlinear program (MINLP is developed and applied to discretize the operation period to track the diurnal fluctuations of solar energy. The solution of the optimization program determines the optimal mix of solar energy, thermal storage and fossil fuel to attain the maximum annual profit of the entire system. A case study is solved for water treatment and energy management for Eagle Ford Basin in Texas.

Conformal field theories, Coulomb gas picture and integrable models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuber, J.B.

1988-01-01

The aim of the study is to present the links between some results of conformal field theory, the conventional Coulomb gas picture in statistical mechanics and the approach of integrable models. It is shown that families of conformal theories, related by the coset construction to the SU(2) Kac-Moody algebra, may be regarded as obtained from some free field, and modified by the coupling of its winding numbers to floating charges. This representation reflects the procedure of restriction of the corresponding integrable lattice models. The work may be generalized to models based on the coset construction with higher rank algebras. The corresponding integrable models are identified. In the conformal field description, generalized parafermions appear, and are coupled to free fields living on a higher-dimensional torus. The analysis is not as exhaustive as in the SU(2) case: all the various restrictions have not been identified, nor the modular invariants completely classified

An integrated solar thermal power system using intercooled gas turbine and Kalina cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Shuo; Hong, Hui; Jin, Hongguang; Wang, Zhifeng

2012-01-01

A new solar tower thermal power system integrating the intercooled gas turbine top cycle and the Kalina bottoming cycle is proposed in the present paper. The thermodynamic performance of the proposed system is investigated, and the irreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using the energy–utilization diagram method. On the top cycle of the proposed system, the compressed air after being intercooled is heated at 1000 °C or higher at the solar tower receiver and is used to drive the gas turbine to generate power. The ammonia–water mixture as the working substance of the bottom cycle recovers the waste heat from the gas turbine to generate power. A concise analytical formula of solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is developed. As a result, the peak solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is 27.5% at a gas turbine inlet temperature of 1000 °C under the designed solar direct normal irradiance of 800 W/m 2 . Compared with a conventional solar power tower plant, the proposed integrated system conserves approximately 69% of consumed water. The results obtained in the current study provide an approach to improve solar-to-electric efficiency and offer a potential to conserve water for solar thermal power plants in arid area. -- Highlights: ► An Integrated Solar Thermal Power System is modeled. ► A formula forecasting the thermodynamic performance is proposed. ► The irreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using an energy utilization method. ► The effect of key operational parameters on thermal performance is examined.

The relation between residential property and its surroundings and day- and night-time residential burglary

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Montoya, Lorena; Junger, Marianne; Ongena, Yfke

This article examines how residential property and its surroundings influence day- and night-time residential burglary. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles of territoriality, surveillance, access control, target hardening, image maintenance, and activity support underpin

The Relation Between Residential Property and its Surroundings and Day- and Night-Time Residential Burglary

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Montoya, L.; Junger, Marianne; Ongena, Yfke

This article examines how residential property and its surroundings influence day- and night-time residential burglary. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles of territoriality, surveillance, access control, target hardening, image maintenance, and activity support underpin

The regulatory regime for gas: a system in danger of coming off the rails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nangle, B.

2000-01-01

The Australian Gas Association (AGA) and its members are getting restless as it becomes more apparent the promised benefits of deregulation are imposing more costs and controls on an industry that owns and operates infrastructure valued at $15bn in heavily regulated markets. AGA Chief Executive Bill Nable used the Northern Territory Electricity and Gas Review in Darwin to examine the state of the gas regulatory regime. The pure reform model envisaged: 1. Multiple producers dealing often directly with large customers and retailers; 2. Open and transparent third party access to transmission (high pressure pipelines) and distribution (local low pressure pipeline networks) systems; and 3. A greater number of energy retailers competing for customers who are free to choose who they purchase their gas from. Energy sector reforms were generally pursued in a coordinated fashion through Commonwealth and State leaders forum - COAG. For gas, as with electricity, this meant separating out (unbundling) previously integrated gas utilities to engender competition and to lower prices - initially for major export and import competing sectors and eventually residential and small business customers. Although the reforms are laudable and have industry support, senior gas industry executives spoke about their concerns and caution about the negative impact the 'Third Party Access Code for Natural Gas and Pipeline Systems' may have for the gas supply industry

Biogas/fossil gas options. The future for integration of biogas in the natural gas sector in Denmark and in Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biering Jensen, A [Naturgas Midt-Nord, Viborg (Denmark)

1997-08-01

Naturgas Midt-Nord is a company with the purpose of distributing and selling natural gas. The company is owned by 73 municipalities in the 4 counties in the northern part of Jutland. In this respect we cover almost 50% of the Danish farming areas. Since the company was established in 1983, almost 775 kilometres or 40 bar high-pressure pipes and 3,500 kilometres of 4 bar low-pressure pipes have been built. From time to time we have discussed the matter of biogas in the company. In relation to the distribution of natural gas, the integration of biogas could either be seen as a threat or a possibility to expand our business. It is still not quite clear for us, what part we should play with regards to biogas integration. (au)

Integrated Life Cycle Energy and Greenhouse Gas Analysis of Exterior Wall Systems for Residential Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Broun

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the breakdown of primary energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG emissions of two common types of exterior walls in the U.K.: insulated concrete form (ICF and cavity walls. A comprehensive assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental performance of each exterior wall system over 50 years of service life in Edinburgh and Bristol. The results indicate that for both wall systems, use phase is the major contributor to the overall environmental impacts, mainly due to associated electricity consumption. For the ICF wall system in Edinburgh, 91% of GHG emissions were attributed to the use phase, with 7.8% in the pre-use and 1.2% in end-of-life phases. For the same system in Bristol, emissions were 89%, 9% and 2%, respectively. A similar trend was observed for cavity wall systems in both locations. It was concluded that in each scenario, the ICF wall system performed better when compared to the cavity wall system. The results of the sensitivity analysis clearly show that the uncertainties relevant to the change of the thickness of the wall are quite tolerable: variable up to 5%, as far as energy and greenhouse emissions are concerned.

An application of the gas-fired chilling and heating units to domestic houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, J.H.; Yang, Y.M.; Chae, J.M.; Bang, H.S.; Kwon, O.B.; Yoo, S.I.; Kim, T.H. [R and D Center, Korea Gas Co. (Korea); Lee, T.W.; Kim, T.H.; Kim, B.H.; Hwang, I.J.; Kim, J.Y.; Kim, C.D.; Park, S.J. [Korea Institute of Construction Technology (Korea)

1999-10-01

Following researches and considerations were performed in this study for an efficient application of gas-fired chilling and heating units to the residential buildings. (1) Status of domestic cooling and heating for residential building. (2) Various introduction schemes of outdoor unit. (3) Design exclusive area for the gas appliance and installation of it. (4) Ventilation of exhaust gas and heat. (5) Prepare the installation specifications or standards for gas-fired chilling and heating units. (6) Design technique of plumbing for cooling and heating. (7) Evaluation of unit's capacity considering the thermal load of domestic buildings. (8) Cooling and heating system with the unit. (9) Fundamental test for evaluation of applicability. (10) Actual design and construction of experimental house for an application and a demonstration of the developed gas units. (11) Field test for cooling and heating. (12) Evaluation of economic efficiency. (13) Establish a business potential. (14) Establishment of legal and systematic support, energy rate. (15) Troubleshooting in the course of development and application of the new gas appliance. 41 refs., 214 figs., 52 tabs.

Cost-Reduction Roadmap for Residential Solar Photovoltaics (PV), 2017-2030

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, Jeffrey J. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ardani, Kristen B. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Margolis, Robert M. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Fu, Ran [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-01-03

The installed cost of solar photovoltaics (PV) has fallen rapidly in recent years and is expected to continue declining in the future. In this report, we focus on the potential for continued PV cost reductions in the residential market. From 2010 to 2017, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for residential PV declined from 52 cents per kilowatt-hour (cents/kWh) to 16 cents/kWh (Fu et al. 2017). The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) recently set new LCOE targets for 2030, including a target of 5 cents/kWh for residential PV. We present a roadmap for achieving the SETO 2030 residential PV target. Because the 2030 target likely will not be achieved under business-as-usual trends (NREL 2017), we examine two key market segments that demonstrate significant opportunities for cost savings and market growth: installing PV at the time of roof replacement and installing PV as part of the new home construction process. Within both market segments, we identify four key cost-reduction opportunities: market maturation, business model integration, product innovation, and economies of scale. To assess the potential impact of these cost reductions, we compare modeled residential PV system prices in 2030 to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) quarter one 2017 (Q1 2017) residential PV system price benchmark (Fu et al. 2017). We use a bottom-up accounting framework to model all component and project-development costs incurred when installing a PV system. The result is a granular accounting for 11 direct and indirect costs associated with installing a residential PV system in 2030. All four modeled pathways demonstrate significant installed-system price savings over the Q1 2017 benchmark, with the visionary pathways yielding the greatest price benefits. The largest modeled cost savings are in the supply chain, sales and marketing, overhead, and installation labor cost categories. When we translate these

Impact of electric industry deregulation on gas markets: a power marketer's perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahns, F.H.

1996-01-01

The impact of electric industry deregulation on gas markets was examined. The presentation included industry comparisons of 1994 gas total revenues versus electricity total revenues for residential, commercial, and industrial use. A chart forecasting the outlook for gas-fired generation of electric power indicated that the use of natural gas as feedstock for power generation will increase from 12% to 37% during the period 1994 to 2003. 16 figs

Maritimes natural gas market : an overview and assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, G.

2003-01-01

In 1987, Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) adopted a market-based procedure (MBP) to assess long-term gas exports. The MPB included monitoring and assessment of Maritimes natural gas markets. The NEB is responsible for interprovincial and international oil and gas pipelines as well as tolls and tariffs on NEB-regulated pipelines. The NEB is also responsible for electricity and natural gas exports and exploration programs on federally regulated lands not covered by an Accord agreement. The province of New Brunswick requested a new set of rules for the export of natural gas from the Maritimes to ensure competitiveness with other jurisdictions. The NEB decided that the public interest is best served by allowing the market to work. It also decided that the developing Maritimes market faces several challenges not faced by buyers in the export market. It was concluded that the market is working reasonably well to meet the needs of domestic consumers. 20 per cent of Scotian gas is being used in the Maritimes and many laterals have been constructed to extend service. Most major population centres have natural gas. However, there is no residential or commercial natural gas service in Nova Scotia, and only limited penetration of natural gas in residential and commercial markets in New Brunswick. Maritimers have a long history of using other fuel options and must make capital investment to switch to natural gas. They must, therefore, be convinced that investment will pay off in fuel savings and other benefits. The NEB will have to improve price transparency and strive for regulatory efficiency and cooperation with other jurisdictions. 2 figs

Integrated Wavelength-Tunable Light Source for Optical Gas Sensing Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A compact instrument consisting of a distributed feedback laser (DFB at 1.65 μm was developed as a light source for gas sensing systems using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS technique. The wavelength of laser is tuned by adjusting the laser working temperature and injection current, which are performed by self-developed temperature controller and current modulator respectively. Stability test shows the fluctuation of the laser temperature is within the range of ±0.02°C. For gas detection experiments, the wavelength is tuned around the gas absorption line by adjusting laser temperature and is then shifted periodically to scan across the absorption line by the laser current modulator, which generates a 10 Hz saw wave signal. In addition, the current modulator is able to generate sine wave signal for gas sensing systems using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS technique involving extraction of harmonic signals. The spectrum test proves good stability that the spectrum was measured 6 times every 10 minutes at the constant temperature and current condition. This standalone instrument can be applied as a light source for detection systems of different gases by integrating lasers at corresponding wavelength.

Turbo-gas emissions and integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mariani, M.; Sera, B.

2005-01-01

The present paper considers the gas-turbine pollution and joints out that the NO, is the most important pollutant among others pollutants as well as the carbon oxide and the volatile organic compounds because the NO x , has a high mass production rate (in the combustion chamber), elevated toxicity to the ecosystem and because of being in the atmosphere a precursor of secondary ultrafine particles PM 2,5 . In with reference to the integrated pollution and control (IPPC) the job shows schemes of chain chemical reactions which are on the base of the formation of different types of NO x , thermal and organic, and it illustrates the influence of some operative parameters on the combustion's efficiency and then on the NO x , production rate. Also, the study gives the best absolvable techniques (BAT) to reduce the NO x , production rate and to demolish it before its introduction, as well as gas exhaust, in the atmosphere. At the end, the work shows that the gas-turbine are to consider thermal engines with a little environment impact index specially when they make use of the natural gas, as well as fuel [it

Effect of Energy Efficiency Standards on Natural Gas Prices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carnall, Michael; Dale, Larry; Lekov, Alex

2011-07-26

A primary justification for the establishment of energy efficiency standards for home appliances is the existence of information deficiencies and externalities in the market for appliances. For example, when a long-term homeowner purchases a new gas-fired water heater, she will maximize the value of her purchase by comparing the life-cycle cost of ownership of available units, including both total installed cost - purchase price plus installation costs - and operating cost in the calculus. Choice of the appliance with the lowest life-cycle costs leads to the most economically efficient balance between capital cost and fuel cost. However, if the purchaser's expected period of ownership is shorter than the useful life of the appliance, or the purchaser does not pay for the fuel used by the appliance, as is often the case with rental property, fuel cost will be external to her costs, biasing her decision toward spending less on fuel efficiency and resulting in the purchase of an appliance with greater than optimal fuel usage. By imposing an efficiency standard on appliances, less efficient appliances are made unavailable, precluding less efficient purchases and reducing fuel usage. The reduction in fuel demanded by residential users affects the total demand for such fuels as natural gas, for example. Reduced demand implies that residential customers are willing to purchase less gas at each price level. That is, the demand curve, labeled D{sub 0} in Figure 1, shifts to the left to D{sub 1}. If there is no change in the supply function, the supply curve will intersect the demand curve at a lower price. Residential demand is only one component of the total demand for natural gas. It is possible that total demand will decline very little if demand in other sectors increases substantially in response to a decline in the price. If demand does decrease, modeling studies generally confirm the intuition that reductions in demand for natural gas will result in reductions

Toward a new, integrated interactive electric power and natural gas industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

The movement toward a new, integrated interactive electric power and natural gas industry is discussed. This movement envisions more competition and fewer competitors. The key capabilities of the new market are described. It is concluded that what will make an energy business succeed is the ability to aggregate supply and markets, to optimize routing, to improve load factors, and to provide added levels of reliability through diversity. The strong organization that is able to deal in all forms of energy is a necessary part of this new paradigm of the integrated energy market

The Swiss gas market - Facts and figures of today

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfander, M.

1999-01-01

This contribution presents a selection of the latest statistical data about the current state of development of the Swiss gas market. The sales and consumer structure areas are the focal points. The key data are clarified by graphics or shown in tabular form with brief comments. The following topics are dealt with: gas balance and sources of natural gas supply for Switzerland, natural gas sales by regions and cantons, energy consumption in the different consumption sectors, heating structure of residential accommodation according to energy sources, trend of natural gas consumption in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe. (author)

The challenges of the implantation of the regulation of AGERBA (State Agency of Regulation of Public Services for Energy and Transport and Communications of Bahia) for residential natural gas in the State of Bahia; Os desafios da implantacao do regulamento da AGERBA (Agencia Estadual de Regulacao de Servicos Publicos de Energia e Transportes e Comunicacoes da Bahia) para o gas natural residencial no estado da Bahia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sousa, Eduardo F. de [Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS), BA (Brazil)], e-mail: eduardosousa@bahiagas.com.br

2008-07-01

In recent years, important structural and institutional transformations are observed, for consequence the questions on the energy industries had started to incorporate, the regulation problems. Thus, the simple creation of new regulating agencies does not assure the automatic fulfilment of the functions of public interest. In this new context, these tasks are much more complex, demanding a learning process: how much to the structures of market and how much to the strategical behavior of the companies. In the local scene, to consolidate the distribution of the natural gas for the residential segment is one of the challenges of the Bahiagas, mainly after the publication of the Resolution that will go to establish the General Conditions of Gas Supply Canalized in the Residential Classroom in the State of the Bahia (hearing publishes carried through N. 002/2006 in June/2006). In this context, it is important to deeply understand the Resolution, that consequently will go to print a new dynamics for the Bahiagas. (author)

Differences between Residential and Non-Residential Fathers on Sexual Socialisation of African American Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Sneed, Carl D.; Willis, Leigh A.

2016-01-01

This study investigated differences between residential and non-residential fathers on topics discussed during father-child sex communication and factors associated with child sexual socialisation. Young people (N = 159, 53% female) provided self-reports using computer surveys on the role of their fathers on father-child sex communication, general…

Analysis of institutional mechanisms affecting residential and commercial buildings retrofit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-09-01

Barriers to energy conservation in the residential and commercial sectors influence (1) the willingness of building occupants to modify their energy usage habits, and (2) the willingness of building owners/occupants to upgrade the thermal characteristics of the structures within which they live or work and the appliances which they use. The barriers that influence the willingness of building owners/occupants to modify the thermal efficiency characteristics of building structures and heating/cooling systems are discussed. This focus is further narrowed to include only those barriers that impede modifications to existing buildings, i.e., energy conservation retrofit activity. Eight barriers selected for their suitability for Federal action in the residential and commercial sectors and examined are: fuel pricing policies that in the short term do not provide enough incentive to invest in energy conservation; high finance cost; inability to evaluate contractor performance; inability to evaluate retrofit products; lack of well-integrated or one-stop marketing systems (referred to as lack of delivery systems); lack of precise or customized information; lack of sociological/psychological incentives; and use of the first-cost decision criterion (expanded to include short-term payback criterion for the commercial sector). The impacts of these barriers on energy conservation are separately assessed for the residential and commercial sectors.

Residential heating costs: A comparison of geothermal solar and conventional resources

Science.gov (United States)

Bloomster, C. H.; Garrett-Price, B. A.; Fassbender, L. L.

1980-08-01

The costs of residential heating throughout the United States using conventional, solar, and geothermal energy were determined under current and projected conditions. These costs are very sensitive to location, being dependent on the local prices of conventional energy supplies, local solar insolation, climate, and the proximity and temperature of potential geothermal resources. The sharp price increases in imported fuels during 1979 and the planned decontrol of domestic oil and natural gas prices have set the stage for geothermal and solar market penetration in the 1980's.

A District Approach to Building Renovation for the Integral Energy Redevelopment of Existing Residential Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mira Conci

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Building energy renovation quotas are not currently being met due to unfavorable conditions such as complex building regulations, limited investment incentives, historical preservation priorities, and technical limitations. The traditional strategy has been to incrementally lower the energy consumption of the building stock, instead of raising the efficiency of the energy supply through a broader use of renewable sources. This strategy requires an integral redefinition of the approach to energy building renovations. The joint project SWIVT elaborates on a district redevelopment strategy that combines a reduction in the energy demand of existing buildings and their physical interconnection within a local micro-grid and heating network. The district is equipped with energy generation and distribution technologies as well as hybrid thermal and electrical energy storage systems, steered by an optimizing energy management controller. This strategy is explored through three scenarios designed for an existing residential area in Darmstadt, Germany, and benchmarked against measured data. Presented findings show that a total primary energy balance at least 30% lower than that of a standard building renovation can be achieved by a cluster of buildings with different thermal qualities and connected energy generation, conversion, and storage systems, with only minimal physical intervention to existing buildings.

On the demand for natural gas in urban China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Yihua; Zheng, Xinye; Han, Yi

2014-01-01

Using a set of unbalanced panel data for Chinese's cities during the period of 2006–2009, this study aims to estimate the price and income elasticities of residential demand for natural gas. Natural gas consumption is specified as a function of its own price; substitute prices; urban wages; and other supply, climate, and housing characteristics. Using a feasible generalised least squares (FGLS) technique, which controls for panel heteroskedasticity and panel correlation, we find that natural gas consumption is price elastic and income inelastic when other covariates (e.g., the supply of natural gas pipeline and heating degree days) are controlled. In addition, there are large variations in demand behaviours across China's regions. There is a substantial income effect on demand for natural gas in southern China, whereas the northern regions are found to have a higher price effect. In addition, the substitution effect between coal and natural gas is significant in North China but is not significant in South China. These findings have several important policy implications for natural gas pricing and supply cost analysis in the context of China. - Highlights: • We estimate the price and income elasticities of residential demand for natural gas. • We use a set of unbalanced panel data for Chinese's cities during 2006–2009. • We use a feasible generalised least squares approach. • We find that natural gas consumption is price elastic and income inelastic. • We find large variations in demand behaviours across China's regions

Life-cycle energy of residential buildings in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Yuan; Ries, Robert J.; Wang, Yaowu

2013-01-01

In the context of rapid urbanization and new construction in rural China, residential building energy consumption has the potential to increase with the expected increase in demand. A process-based hybrid life-cycle assessment model is used to quantify the life-cycle energy use for both urban and rural residential buildings in China and determine the energy use characteristics of each life cycle phase. An input–output model for the pre-use phases is based on 2007 Chinese economic benchmark data. A process-based life-cycle assessment model for estimating the operation and demolition phases uses historical energy-intensity data. Results show that operation energy in both urban and rural residential buildings is dominant and varies from 75% to 86% of life cycle energy respectively. Gaps in living standards as well as differences in building structure and materials result in a life-cycle energy intensity of urban residential buildings that is 20% higher than that of rural residential buildings. The life-cycle energy of urban residential buildings is most sensitive to the reduction of operational energy intensity excluding heating energy which depends on both the occupants' energy-saving behavior as well as the performance of the building itself. -- Highlights: •We developed a hybrid LCA model to quantify the life-cycle energy for urban and rural residential buildings in China. •Operation energy in urban and rural residential buildings is dominant, varying from 75% to 86% of life cycle energy respectively. •Compared with rural residential buildings, the life-cycle energy intensity of urban residential buildings is 20% higher. •The life-cycle energy of urban residential buildings is most sensitive to the reduction of daily activity energy

The effects of utility cost reduction on residential energy consumption in Hungary – a decomposition analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tekla Sebestyén Szép

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The residential energy consumption is influenced by a lot of factors. Understanding and calculating these factors is essential to making conscious energy policy decisions and feedbacks. Since 2013 the energy prices for households have been controlled by the government in Hungary and as a result of the utility cost reduction program a sharp decline can be observed in residential electricity, district heating and natural gas prices. This paper applies the LMDI (~Logarithmic Mean Division Index method to decompose the absolute change of the residential energy consumption during the period of 2010-2015. We calculate the price, the intensive structure (it means the change of energy expenditure share on energy sources, the extensive structure (it is in connection with the change of energy expenditure share in total expenditure, expenditure (it is the change of per capita total expenditure and population effect. All of that shows the impact of the specific factor on the residential energy consumption by income deciles. Our results have verified the preliminary expectations: the decreasing energy prices for households have a positive impact on energy use and it has been strengthened by the expenditure effect as well. However, the intensive structure, the extensive structure and the population effect have largely offset it.

Integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactors: Technological and economical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amelio, Mario; Morrone, Pietropaolo; Gallucci, Fausto; Basile, Angelo

2007-01-01

In the present work, the capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the fossil fuel power plant have been considered. The main objective was to analyze the thermodynamic performances and the technological aspects of two integrated gasification gas combined cycle plants (IGCC), as well as to give a forecast of the investment costs for the plants and the resulting energy consumptions. The first plant considered is an IGCC* plant (integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with traditional shift reactors) characterized by the traditional water gas shift reactors and a CO 2 physical adsorption system followed by the power section. The second one is an IGCC M plant (integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactor) where the coal thermal input is the same as the first one, but the traditional shift reactors and the physical adsorption unit are replaced by catalytic palladium membrane reactors (CMR). In the present work, a mono-dimensional computational model of the membrane reactor was proposed to simulate and evaluate the capability of the IGCC M plant to capture carbon dioxide. The energetic performances, efficiency and net power of the IGCC* and IGCC M plants were, thus, compared, assuming as standard a traditional IGCC plant without carbon dioxide capture. The economical aspects of the three plants were compared through an economical analysis. Since the IGCC* and IGCC M plants have additional costs related to the capture and disposal of the carbon dioxide, a Carbon Tax (adopted in some countries like Sweden) proportional to the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide released in the environment was assumed. According to the economical analysis, the IGCC M plant proved to be more convenient than the IGCC* one

Natural gas market review 2006 - towards a global gas market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

Natural gas is essential to the world economy. Gas now accounts for almost a quarter of OECD primary energy requirements and is expected to become the second most important fuel in the world in the next decade. Industrial and residential consumers increasingly rely on natural gas to keep their houses warm, their lights on and their factories running. Meanwhile the gas industry itself has entered a new phase. Where gas used to be restricted to regional markets, it is now increasingly traded on a global scale. While gas production and transport requires long-term investment, now it is optimised on a short-term basis. Demand continues to grow, but local gas production has become much more expensive. How should we react? How will demand be satisfied? What changes are required to promote flexibility and trade? What are the implications for gas security, investment and interdependence? At stake is an opportunity to diversify supply and demand - but this goal is threatened by barriers to competition and investment. This book is the first of a new IEA publication series. It takes an unprecedented look at developments in natural gas to 2010, analysing not only the three IEA regions (Asia Pacific, North America and Europe) but also broader global trends, such as the interaction of pipeline gas with LNG which binds the regions together. The Review provides invaluable insights for understanding this dynamic market.

Natural gas market review 2006 - towards a global gas market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Natural gas is essential to the world economy. Gas now accounts for almost a quarter of OECD primary energy requirements and is expected to become the second most important fuel in the world in the next decade. Industrial and residential consumers increasingly rely on natural gas to keep their houses warm, their lights on and their factories running. Meanwhile the gas industry itself has entered a new phase. Where gas used to be restricted to regional markets, it is now increasingly traded on a global scale. While gas production and transport requires long-term investment, now it is optimised on a short-term basis. Demand continues to grow, but local gas production has become much more expensive. How should we react? How will demand be satisfied? What changes are required to promote flexibility and trade? What are the implications for gas security, investment and interdependence? At stake is an opportunity to diversify supply and demand - but this goal is threatened by barriers to competition and investment. This book is the first of a new IEA publication series. It takes an unprecedented look at developments in natural gas to 2010, analysing not only the three IEA regions (Asia Pacific, North America and Europe) but also broader global trends, such as the interaction of pipeline gas with LNG which binds the regions together. The Review provides invaluable insights for understanding this dynamic market

An integrated approach to better performance in the oil and gas business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowlie, D.

1995-01-01

The oil and gas industry was characterized as an increasingly complex industry with low growth and high competition. A model of system thinking was developed to show the interrelationships of the oil and gas business. Examples illustrated possible scenarios that companies could use with respect to explorations. It was concluded that integrated strategies will be needed when making decisions in the future because of the competitive and risky nature of the business. A proactive attitude will have be supplemented with the use of innovations in business approaches and implementation of new technological solutions

International performance indicators: gas supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-12-01

This study evaluates the performance of Australian's natural gas utilities against world best practice. In particular, it examines whether Australia's traded goods sector is disadvantaged by the performance of domestic infrastructure service industries. It reports on the operating efficiency of the natural gas industry using Data Envelopment Analysis. It concludes that the Australian gas industry as a whole is performing relatively well in term of operating efficiency and that its prices are comparable with prices in North America, once differences in consumption per customer are taken into consideration. Appendixes 1 and 2 provide a summary of the structure and regulation of the gas supply industry in Australia and selected overseas countries, while the Appendix 3 gives an econometric analysis of the relationships between consumption per customer and residential price-cost margins. refs., tabs., figs

Steering Angle Function Algorithm of Morphing of Residential Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

XIE Tian

2015-07-01

Full Text Available A residential area feature morphing method based on steering angle function is presented. To residential area with the same representation under two different scales,transforming the representation of the residential area polygon from vector coordinates to steering angle function,then using the steering angle function to match,and finding out the similarity and the differences between the residential areas under different scale to get the steering angle function of the the residential areas under any middle scale,the final,transforming the middle scale steering angle function to vector coordinates form,and get the middle shape interpolation of the the residential area polygon.Experimental results show:the residential area morphing method by using steering angle function presented can realize the continuous multi-scale representation under the premise of keeping in shape for the residential area with the rectangular boundary features.

Integrated working between residential care homes and primary care: a survey of care homes in England

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gage Heather

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Older people living in care homes in England have complex health needs due to a range of medical conditions, mental health needs and frailty. Despite an increasing policy expectation that professionals should operate in an integrated way across organisational boundaries, there is a lack of understanding between care homes and the National Health Service (NHS about how the two sectors should work together, meaning that residents can experience a poor "fit" between their needs, and services they can access. This paper describes a survey to establish the current extent of integrated working that exists between care homes and primary and community health and social services. Methods A self-completion, online questionnaire was designed by the research team. Items on the different dimensions of integration (funding, administrative, organisational, service delivery, clinical care were included. The survey was sent to a random sample of residential care homes with more than 25 beds (n = 621 in England in 2009. Responses were analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results The survey achieved an overall response rate of 15.8%. Most care homes (78.7% worked with more than one general practice. Respondents indicated that a mean of 14.1 professionals/ services (other than GPs had visited the care homes in the last six months (SD 5.11, median 14; a mean of .39 (SD.163 professionals/services per bed. The most frequent services visiting were district nursing, chiropody and community psychiatric nurses. Many (60% managers considered that they worked with the NHS in an integrated way, including sharing documents, engaging in integrated care planning and joint learning and training. However, some care home managers cited working practices dictated by NHS methods of service delivery and priorities for care, rather than those of the care home or residents, a lack of willingness by NHS professionals to share information, and low

High Performance Residential Housing Units at U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romero, R.; Hickey, J.

2013-10-01

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) constructs residential housing throughout the country using a basic template that must meet the minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver criteria or better for the units. In Kodiak, Alaska, USCG is procuring between 24 and 100 residential multi-family housing units. Priorities for the Kodiak project were to reduce overall energyconsumption by at least 20% over existing units, improve envelope construction, and evaluate space heating options. USCG is challenged with maintaining similar existing units that have complicated residential diesel boilers. Additionally, fuel and material costs are high in Kodiak. While USCG has worked to optimize the performance of the housing units with principles of improved buildingenvelope, the engineers realize there are still opportunities for improvement, especially within the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and different envelope measures. USCG staff also desires to balance higher upfront project costs for significantly reduced life-cycle costs of the residential units that have an expected lifetime of 50 or more years. To answer thesequestions, this analysis used the residential modeling tool BEoptE+ to examine potential energy- saving opportunities for the climate. The results suggest criteria for achieving optimized housing performance at the lowest cost. USCG will integrate the criteria into their procurement process. To achieve greater than 50% energy savings, USCG will need to specify full 2x 6 wood stud R-21 insulationwith two 2 inches of exterior foam, R-38 ceiling insulation or even wall insulation in the crawl space, and R-49 fiberglass batts in a the vented attic. The air barrier should be improved to ensure a tight envelope with minimal infiltration to the goal of 2.0 ACH50. With the implementation of an air source heat pump for space heating requirements, the combination of HVAC and envelope savings inthe residential unit can save

Effects of syngas type on the operation and performance of a gas turbine in integrated gasification combined cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Sik; Lee, Jong Jun; Kim, Tong Seop; Sohn, Jeong L.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The effect of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas was investigated. → A full off-design analysis was performed for a wide syngas heating value range. → Restrictions on compressor surge margin and turbine metal temperature were considered. -- Abstract: We investigated the effects of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas. Four different syngases were evaluated as fuels for a gas turbine in the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). A full off-design analysis of the gas turbine was performed. Without any restrictions on gas turbine operation, as the heating value of the syngas decreases, a greater net system power output and efficiency is possible due to the increased turbine mass flow. However, the gas turbine is more vulnerable to compressor surge and the blade metal becomes more overheated. These two problems can be mitigated by reductions in two parameters: the firing temperature and the nitrogen flow to the combustor. With the restrictions on surge margin and metal temperature, the net system performance decreases compared to the cases without restrictions, especially in the surge margin control range. The net power outputs of all syngas cases converge to a similar level as the degree of integration approaches zero. The difference in net power output between unrestricted and restricted operation increases as the fuel heating value decreases. The optimal integration degree, which shows the greatest net system power output and efficiency, increases with decreasing syngas heating value.

Effects of syngas type on the operation and performance of a gas turbine in integrated gasification combined cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Sik; Lee, Jong Jun [Graduate School, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tong Seop, E-mail: kts@inha.ac.k [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Sohn, Jeong L. [Center for Next Generation Heat Exchangers, Busan 618-230 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-05-15

Research highlights: {yields} The effect of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas was investigated. {yields} A full off-design analysis was performed for a wide syngas heating value range. {yields} Restrictions on compressor surge margin and turbine metal temperature were considered. -- Abstract: We investigated the effects of firing syngas in a gas turbine designed for natural gas. Four different syngases were evaluated as fuels for a gas turbine in the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). A full off-design analysis of the gas turbine was performed. Without any restrictions on gas turbine operation, as the heating value of the syngas decreases, a greater net system power output and efficiency is possible due to the increased turbine mass flow. However, the gas turbine is more vulnerable to compressor surge and the blade metal becomes more overheated. These two problems can be mitigated by reductions in two parameters: the firing temperature and the nitrogen flow to the combustor. With the restrictions on surge margin and metal temperature, the net system performance decreases compared to the cases without restrictions, especially in the surge margin control range. The net power outputs of all syngas cases converge to a similar level as the degree of integration approaches zero. The difference in net power output between unrestricted and restricted operation increases as the fuel heating value decreases. The optimal integration degree, which shows the greatest net system power output and efficiency, increases with decreasing syngas heating value.

Municipal Solid Waste Gasification Plant Integrated With SOFC and Gas Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bellomare, Filippo; Rokni, Masoud

2012-01-01

An interesting source of producing energy with low pollutants emission and reduced environmental impact are the biomasses; particularly using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as fuel, can be a competitive solution not only to produce energy with negligible costs but also to decrease the storage...... in landfills. A Municipal Solid Waste Gasification Plant Integrated with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Gas Turbine (GT) has been studied and the plant is called IGSG (Integrated Gasification SOFC and GT). Gasification plant is fed by MSW to produce syngas by which the anode side of a SOFC is fed wherein...

Residential energy demand in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arouca, M.; Gomes, F.M.; Rosa, L.P.

1981-01-01

The energy demand in Brazilian residential sector is studied, discussing the methodology for analyzing this demand from some ideas suggested, for developing an adequate method to brazilian characteristics. The residential energy consumption of several fuels in Brazil is also presented, including a comparative evaluation with the United States and France. (author)

Estimating insured residential losses from large flood scenarios on the Tone River, Japan - a data integration approach

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, T.; McAneney, K. J.; Chen, K.

2011-12-01

Flooding on the Tone River, which drains the largest catchment area in Japan and is now home to 12 million people, poses significant risk to the Greater Tokyo Area. In April 2010, an expert panel in Japan, the Central Disaster Prevention Council, examined the potential for large-scale flooding and outlined possible mitigation measures in the Greater Tokyo Area. One of the scenarios considered closely mimics the pattern of flooding that occurred with the passage of Typhoon Kathleen in 1947 and would potentially flood some 680 000 households above floor level. Building upon that report, this study presents a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based data integration approach to estimate the insurance losses for residential buildings and contents as just one component of the potential financial cost. Using a range of publicly available data - census information, location reference data, insurance market information and flood water elevation data - this analysis finds that insurance losses for residential property alone could reach approximately 1 trillion JPY (US 12.5 billion). Total insurance losses, including commercial and industrial lines of business, are likely to be at least double this figure with total economic costs being much greater again. The results are sensitive to the flood scenario assumed, position of levee failures, local flood depths and extents, population and building heights. The Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) of the rainfall following Typhoon Kathleen has been estimated to be on the order of 200 yr; however, at this juncture it is not possible to put an ARI on the modelled loss since we cannot know the relative or joint probability of the different flooding scenarios. It is possible that more than one of these scenarios could occur simultaneously or that levee failure at one point might lower water levels downstream and avoid a failure at all other points. In addition to insurance applications, spatial analyses like that presented here have

Gas Sensor

KAUST Repository

Luebke, Ryan

2015-01-22

A gas sensor using a metal organic framework material can be fully integrated with related circuitry on a single substrate. In an on-chip application, the gas sensor can result in an area-efficient fully integrated gas sensor solution. In one aspect, a gas sensor can include a first gas sensing region including a first pair of electrodes, and a first gas sensitive material proximate to the first pair of electrodes, wherein the first gas sensitive material includes a first metal organic framework material.

Gas Sensor

KAUST Repository

Luebke, Ryan; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Omran, Hesham; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Shekhah, Osama; Salama, Khaled N.

2015-01-01

A gas sensor using a metal organic framework material can be fully integrated with related circuitry on a single substrate. In an on-chip application, the gas sensor can result in an area-efficient fully integrated gas sensor solution. In one aspect, a gas sensor can include a first gas sensing region including a first pair of electrodes, and a first gas sensitive material proximate to the first pair of electrodes, wherein the first gas sensitive material includes a first metal organic framework material.

NOVEL GAS CLEANING/CONDITIONING FOR INTEGRATED GASIFICATION COMBINED CYCLE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dennis A. Horazak; Richard A. Newby; Eugene E. Smeltzer; Rachid B. Slimane; P. Vann Bush; James L. Aderhold Jr; Bruce G. Bryan

2005-12-01

Development efforts have been underway for decades to replace dry-gas cleaning technology with humid-gas cleaning technology that would maintain the water vapor content in the raw gas by conducting cleaning at sufficiently high temperature to avoid water vapor condensation and would thus significantly simplify the plant and improve its thermal efficiency. Siemens Power Generation, Inc. conducted a program with the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to develop a Novel Gas Cleaning process that uses a new type of gas-sorbent contactor, the ''filter-reactor''. The Filter-Reactor Novel Gas Cleaning process described and evaluated here is in its early stages of development and this evaluation is classified as conceptual. The commercial evaluations have been coupled with integrated Process Development Unit testing performed at a GTI coal gasifier test facility to demonstrate, at sub-scale the process performance capabilities. The commercial evaluations and Process Development Unit test results are presented in Volumes 1 and 2 of this report, respectively. Two gas cleaning applications with significantly differing gas cleaning requirements were considered in the evaluation: IGCC power generation, and Methanol Synthesis with electric power co-production. For the IGCC power generation application, two sets of gas cleaning requirements were applied, one representing the most stringent ''current'' gas cleaning requirements, and a second set representing possible, very stringent ''future'' gas cleaning requirements. Current gas cleaning requirements were used for Methanol Synthesis in the evaluation because these cleaning requirements represent the most stringent of cleaning requirements and the most challenging for the Filter-Reactor Novel Gas Cleaning process. The scope of the evaluation for each application was: (1) Select the configuration for the Filter-Reactor Novel Gas Cleaning Process, the arrangement of the

Residential Care

Science.gov (United States)

... Kids For Teens For Parents & Teachers Resolving Family Conflicts The Holidays and Alzheimer's Glossary Virtual Library Online ... longer an option Costs Choosing a care setting Types of residential care A good long-term care ...

Market influence on the low carbon energy refurbishment of existing multi-residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, Jonathan G.B.; Jackson, Tim; Mullings-Smith, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between the energy market; the political and regulatory context; and energy design decisions for existing multi-residential buildings, to determine what form the energy market landscape would take if tailored to encourage low carbon solutions. The links between market dynamics, Government strategies, and building designs are mapped to understand the steps that achieve carbon reduction from building operation. This is achieved using a model that takes financial and energy components with market and design variables to provide net present cost and annual carbon outputs. The financial component applies discounted cash flow analysis over the building lifespan, with discount rates reflecting contractual characteristics; the carbon component uses Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) 2005. A scenario approach is adopted to test alternative strategies selected to encourage low carbon solutions in two residential and two office designs. The results show that the forward assumption of energy price escalation is the most influential factor on energy investment, together with the expected differentiation between the escalation of gas and electricity prices. Using this, and other influencing factors, the research reveals trends and strategies that will achieve mainstream application of energy efficiency and microgeneration technologies, and reduce carbon emissions in the existing multi-residential sector.

Problems of gas marketing, particularly with respect to Swiss conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunzinger, W

1981-07-01

Rising gas prices have required a change in Switzerland's marketing strategy to a greater emphasis on the residential, commercial, and service sectors. A Swiss committee on energy in 1978 reported on three different scenarios for Swiss energy development. Excluding district heating and cogeneration use, natural gas consumption, though modest by world standards, grew 13.3% in 1979 to reach 7848 GWhr, or 4.2% of the total energy consumption. The Swiss gas industry association in 1979 began an information campaign to send out a series of six letters about gas.

Techno-economic assessment and optimization of stirling engine micro-cogeneration systems in residential buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alanne, Kari; Soederholm, Niklas; Siren, Kai [Dept. of Energy Technology, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 4100, 02015 TKK (Finland); Beausoleil-Morrison, Ian [Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa (Canada)

2010-12-15

Micro-cogeneration offers numerous potential advantages for the supply of energy to residential buildings in the sense of improved energy efficiency and reduced environmental burdens. To realize these benefits, however, such systems must reduce energy costs, primary energy consumption, and CO{sub 2} emissions relative to conventional heating systems. In this paper, we search for optimized strategies for the integration of a Stirling engine-based micro-cogeneration system in residential buildings by comparing the performance of various system configurations and operational strategies with that of a reference system, i.e. hydronic heating and a low temperature gas boiler in standard and passive house constructions located in different climates. The IDA-ICE whole-building simulation program is employed with the Stirling engine micro-cogeneration model that was developed by IEA/ECBCS Annex 42. In this way the dynamic effects of micro-cogeneration devices, such as warm-ups and shutdowns, are accounted for. This study contributes to the research by addressing hourly changes in the fuel mix used for central electricity generation and the utilization of thermal exhaust through heat recovery. Our results suggest that an optimally operated micro-cogeneration system encompassing heat recovery and appropriate thermal storage would result in a 3-5% decrease in primary energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions when compared to a conventional hydronic heating system. Moreover, this configuration is capable of delivering annual savings in all the combinations of electricity and fuel price between 0.05 and 0.15 EUR kW h{sup -1}. As can be expected, these results are sensitive to the electrical energy supply mix, building type, and climate. (author)

Techno-economic assessment and optimization of Stirling engine micro-cogeneration systems in residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alanne, Kari; Soederholm, Niklas; Siren, Kai; Beausoleil-Morrison, Ian

2010-01-01

Micro-cogeneration offers numerous potential advantages for the supply of energy to residential buildings in the sense of improved energy efficiency and reduced environmental burdens. To realize these benefits, however, such systems must reduce energy costs, primary energy consumption, and CO 2 emissions relative to conventional heating systems. In this paper, we search for optimized strategies for the integration of a Stirling engine-based micro-cogeneration system in residential buildings by comparing the performance of various system configurations and operational strategies with that of a reference system, i.e. hydronic heating and a low temperature gas boiler in standard and passive house constructions located in different climates. The IDA-ICE whole-building simulation program is employed with the Stirling engine micro-cogeneration model that was developed by IEA/ECBCS Annex 42. In this way the dynamic effects of micro-cogeneration devices, such as warm-ups and shutdowns, are accounted for. This study contributes to the research by addressing hourly changes in the fuel mix used for central electricity generation and the utilization of thermal exhaust through heat recovery. Our results suggest that an optimally operated micro-cogeneration system encompassing heat recovery and appropriate thermal storage would result in a 3-5% decrease in primary energy consumption and CO 2 emissions when compared to a conventional hydronic heating system. Moreover, this configuration is capable of delivering annual savings in all the combinations of electricity and fuel price between 0.05 and 0.15 Euro kW h -1 . As can be expected, these results are sensitive to the electrical energy supply mix, building type, and climate.

Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Youth:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Whittaker, James K.; Holmes, Lisa; del Valle, Jorge F.

2016-01-01

so in closer collaboration with their families and in closer proximity to their home communities; and, (3) with the hope of reducing the high costs often associated with group residential provision. In some jurisdictions, efforts to reduce residential care resources in the absence of sufficient...... alternatives to serve high-resource needing youth has had unintended and negative consequences. It is within this context that a working group international experts representing research, policy, service delivery and families (International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care) convened at the Centre...... for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University in the U.K. for a Summit meeting on therapeutic residential care for children and youth funded by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust (UK). The focus centered on what is known about therapeutic residential care and what key questions should inform a priority...

Natural gas pricing policy: the case of the Greek energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caloghirou, Y.; Mourelatos, A.; Papayannakis, L.

1995-01-01

The evolution of the price of natural gas (NG) is examined in industrial and tertiary residential sectors for European Union (EU) countries. The methodological approach is that of comparative analysis. NG price is seen to be positively correlated to prices of liquid fuels. NG price in the tertiary residential sector is significantly higher than that for the industrial sector for all countries examined. An attempt is undertaken to examine tax policies for NG and liquid fuels. All governments of EU countries have the policy of not applying direct taxes to the NG industrial price. They have also taken measures to support its penetration in the residential tertiary sector by applying lower taxes than those on liquid fuels. (author)

Incorporating regional growth into forecasts of greenhouse gas emissions from project-level residential and commercial development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowangould, Dana; Eldridge, Melody; Niemeier, Deb

2013-01-01

To better understand the greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of land use planning decisions, regional planning organizations have developed tools to forecast the emissions from project-level residential and commercial development. This paper reviews the state of GHG emissions forecasting methods for project-level development. We argue that when forecasting changes in regional emissions it is important to make explicit what is assumed about a project′s effect on the population of residents and businesses in the region. We present five regional growth assumptions capturing the range of ways that project-level development might influence (i) construction and occupancy of similar developments elsewhere in a region and (ii) relocation of the initial activities that occur on-site before the project is built. We show that current forecasting tools inconsistently address the latter when they are interpreted as forecasted changes in regional emissions. Using a case study in Yolo County, California we demonstrate that forecasted changes in regional emissions are greatly affected by the regional growth assumption. In the absence of information about which regional growth assumption is accurate, we provide guidelines for selection of a conservative regional growth assumption. - Highlights: • Current tools inconsistently forecast GHG emissions from project-level development. • We outline five assumptions about how projects may affect regional growth. • Our assumptions capture a range of economic and population effects of projects. • Our case study shows that growth assumptions greatly affect regional GHG estimates. • We provide guidelines for selecting a conservative regional growth assumption

Retailing residential electricity : A concept that makes sense?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, C.

2003-07-01

A heated debate centres around the deregulation of the electricity industry and the retailing of residential electricity. An assessment of the current situation in the industry was provided in this paper to provide a basis for discussion. The experience gained both in Alberta and Texas in residential retail was examined. The main issue of concern is whether residential customers will benefit from deregulation of the electricity sector. The Retail Energy Deregulation (RED) Index provides a benchmark for those jurisdictions considering the residential options. Deregulation has not led to significant benefits to residential customers in most jurisdictions. The electricity industry will always require a central dispatch/market process that will have to designed, governed, regulated, modified regularly. The benefits to residential consumers are not expected for a very long time. Standard market design is an issue that will require attention. refs., 7 figs

Residential energy consumption in urban China: A decomposition analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xiaoli; Li Na; Ma, Chunbo

2012-01-01

Residential energy consumption (REC) is the second largest energy use category (10%) in China and urban residents account for 63% of the REC. Understanding the underlying drivers of variations of urban REC thus helps to identify challenges and opportunities and provide advices for future policy measures. This paper applies the LMDI method to a decomposition of China's urban REC during the period of 1998–2007 at disaggregated product/activity level using data collected from a wide range of sources. Our results have shown an extensive structure change towards a more energy-intensive household consumption structure as well as an intensive structure change towards high-quality and cleaner energy such as electricity, oil, and natural gas, which reflects a changing lifestyle and consumption mode in pursuit of a higher level of comfort, convenience and environmental protection. We have also found that China's price reforms in the energy sector have contributed to a reduction of REC while scale factors including increased urban population and income levels have played a key role in the rapid growth of REC. We suggest that further deregulation in energy prices and regulatory as well as voluntary energy efficiency and conservation policies in the residential sector should be promoted. - Highlights: ► We examine china's residential energy consumption (REC) at detailed product level. ► Results show significant extensive and intensive structure changed. ► Price deregulation in the energy sector has contributed a reduction of REC. ► Growth of population and income played a key role in REC rapid growth. ► We provide policy suggestions to promote REC saving.

WATER-GAS SHIFT WITH INTEGRATED HYDROGEN SEPARATION; A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos; Jerry Meldon; Xiaomei Qi

2001-01-01

Optimization of the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction system for hydrogen production for fuel cells is of particular interest to the energy industry. To this end, it is desirable to couple the WGS reaction to hydrogen separation using a semi-permeable membrane, with both processes carried out at high temperature to improve reaction kinetics. Reduced equilibrium conversion of the WGS reaction at high temperatures is overcome by product H(sub 2) removal via the membrane. This project involves fundamental research and development of novel cerium oxide-based catalysts for the water-gas-shift reaction and the integration of these catalysts with Pd-alloy H(sub 2)-separation membranes supplying high purity hydrogen for fuel cell use. Conditions matching the requirements of coal gasifier-exit gas streams will be examined in the project. In the first year of the project, we prepared a series of nanostructured Cu- and Fe-containing ceria catalysts by a special gelation/precipitation technique followed by air calcination at 650 C. Each sample was characterized by ICP for elemental composition analysis, BET-N2 desorption for surface area measurement, and by temperature-programmed reduction in H(sub 2) to evaluate catalyst reducibility. Screening WGS tests with catalyst powders were conducted in a flow microreactor at temperatures in the range of 200-550 C. On the basis of both activity and stability of catalysts in simulated coal gas, and in CO(sub 2)-rich gases, a Cu-CeO(sub 2) catalyst formulation was selected for further study in this project. Details from the catalyst development and testing work are given in this report. Also in this report, we present H(sub 2) permeation data collected with unsupported flat membranes of pure Pd and Pd-alloys over a wide temperature window

China's natural gas consumption and subsidies—From a sector perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ting; Lin, Boqiang

2014-01-01

China's natural gas consumption is growing rapidly and it has being driven by economic growth, industrialization and urbanization. In addition, the country's low-carbon development strategy, government-controlled gas price, and some other factors also contribute to the surging gas consumption. This paper studies China's natural gas consumption in residential, industrial and commercial sectors. We adopt the cointegration test and error correction model to study the relationships of explanatory factors and gas consumption of different sectors and climate factor is included into the analysis. In order to find the direction of natural gas pricing reform and establish the benchmark gas price, this paper also estimates the size of gas price subsidy by using price-gap approach. Our findings are as follows: In the long term, China's residential sector is more sensitive to price than the other two. Urbanization is an important factor promoting industrial and commercial gas consumption. Prices of other energies have an influence on natural gas consumption significantly due to the substitutability between energies. The slow-moving and unsatisfying pricing reforms on refined oil and natural gas lead to positive price elasticity of natural gas in the commercial sector, which implies that a further energy price reform is still stringent for China. - Highlights: • We figured out the price elasticity of different sectors. • We figured out the income elasticity of different sectors. • We introduced temperature factor into the study of natural gas consumption. • We study the natural gas subsidy of different sectors

Techno-economic evaluation for the heat integration of vaporisation cold energy in natural gas processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koku, Oludolapo; Perry, Simon; Kim, Jin-Kuk

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Development of thermal integration modelling framework for the utilisation of LNG cold energy. • Feasibility study for various design options for the integration of low-temperature cold energy. • Provision of a design approach for achieving efficient use of cold energy in LNG terminals. • Understanding of techno-economic impacts associated with the thermal integration of LNG cold energy. - Abstract: This paper addresses a conceptual study investigating the techno-economic feasibility for the thermal Integration of LNG cold vaporisation energy in power generation applications. In conventional regasification systems, this valuable LNG cold energy is often being wasted to ambient heat sources, representing a thermodynamic inefficient process with a significant thermal impact on the local environment. A combined facility consisting of a non-integrated Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) and an LNG receiving terminal employing traditional Open Rack Vaporisers (ORV) technology, has been modelled, as a base case. Retrofit strategies for the integration of LNG cold energy have been investigated, and their impacts on power production and system efficiency are systematically compared. Retrofit design options considered in this work include the use of a propane Rankine cycle coupled with the direct expansion of natural gas, the integration of a closed-loop water cycle or open-loop water circuit with a steam Rankine cycle, and the facilitation of integrated air cooling for a gas turbine

Reconstruction of Low Pressure Gas Supply System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. N. Osipov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The current reconstruction of residential areas in large cities especially with the developed heat-supply systems from thermal power stations and reduction of heat consumption for heating due to higher thermal resistance of building enclosing structures requires new technical solutions in respect of gas-supply problems. While making reconstruction of a gas-supply system of the modernized or new buildings in the operating zone of one gas-distribution plant it is necessary to change hot water-supply systems from gas direct-flow water heaters to centralized heat-supply and free gas volumes are to be used for other needs or gas-supply of new buildings with the current external gas distribution network.Selection of additional gas-line sections and points of gas-supply systems pertaining to new and reconstructed buildings for their connection to the current distribution system of gas-supply is to be executed in accordance with the presented methodology.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) market and Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Firoz; Alam, Quamrul; Reza, Suman; Khurshid-ul-Alam, S. M.; Saleque, Khondkar; Ahsan, Saifuddin

2017-06-01

As low carbon-emitting fossil fuel, the natural gas is mainly used for power generation and industrial applications. It is also used for heating and cooling in commercial and residential buildings as well as in transport industry. Although the natural gas reaches the end-user mainly through pipelines (if gas is available locally), the liquefied form is the most viable alternative to transport natural gas from far away location to the end user. The economic progress in Asia and other parts of the world creates huge demand for energy (oil, gas and coal). As low carbon-emitting fuel, the demand for gas especially in liquefied form is progressively rising. Having 7th largest shale gas reserve (437 trillion cubic feet recoverable), Australia has become one of the world's major natural gas producers and exporters and is expected to continue a dominating role in the world gas market in foreseeable future. This paper reviews Australia's current gas reserve, industries, markets and LNG production capabilities.

TRANSPETRO gas security of supply program; Programa de confiabilidade de suprimento de gas natural da TRANSPETRO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faertes, Denise [PETROBRAS Transporte S.A. (TRANSPETRO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the Gas Security of Supply Program that is being implemented at TRANSPETRO since 2002. It includes the application of the state of the art techniques and models related to reliability engineering. The main objective of the program is to evaluate and optimize overall gas network performance and to provide gas to different consumers (industrial, residential, thermo-plants and vehicles) in compliance with stated reliability levels. Heavy fines will be applied to PETROBRAS in case of occurrence of shortfalls. We hope that this paper can contribute to a wider discussion about this subject of performance indicators involving security of supply, safety and environment preservation. (author)

Main challenges of residential areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana Luca

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The present article is a position paper aiming to initiate a professional debate related to the aspects related to the urban dysfunctions leading to the wear of the residential areas. The paper proposes a definition of the wear process, identify the main causes leading to its occurrence and propose a number of solutions to neutralise the dysfunctions. The three wearing phases of residential areas components are emphasized, exploring their lifecycle. In order to perform the study of urban wear, the status of the residential areas components can be established and monitored, and also the variables of the function that can mathematically model the specific wear process may be considered. The paper is considered a first step for the model adjustment, to be tested and validated in the following steps. Based on the mathematical method and model, there can be created, in a potential future research, the possibility of determining the precarity degree for residential areas/neighbourhoods and cities, by minimising the subjective component of the analyses preceding the decision for renovation or regeneration.

Optimal Energy Management for the Integrated Power and Gas Systems via Real-time Pricing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shu, KangAn; Ai, Xiaomeng; Wen, Jinyu

2018-01-01

This work proposed a bi-level formulation for energy management in the integrated power and natural gas system via real-time price signals. The upper-level problem minimizes the operational cost, in which dynamic electricity price and dynamic gas tariff are proposed. The lower level problem...... and P2Gs plants follow the system operator’s preferences such as wind power accommodation, mitigation of unsupplied load and relieving the network congestion....

An Industrial Cloud: Integrated Operations in Oil and Gas in the Norwegian Continental Shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Rong, Chunming

Cloud computing may provide the long waiting technologies and methodologies for large scale industrial collaboration across disciplines and enterprise boundaries. Industrial cloud is introduced as a new inter-enterprise integration concept in cloud computing. Motivations and advantages are given by a practical exploration of the concept from the perspective of the on-going effort by the Norwegian oil and gas industry to build industry wide information integration and collaboration. ISO15926 is recognized as a standard enabling cross boundaries data integration and processing.

Public participation in energy saving retrofitting of residential buildings in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wenling; Zhang, Jinyun; Bluemling, Bettina; Mol, Arthur P.J.; Wang, Can

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We compare public participation in three early cases of residential retrofitting in Beijing. • Residents’ involvement in pre-retrofit activities as well as in the choice and use of technologies varied. • More involvement of residents during retrofitting improves energy saving performance. • Taking into account motives and energy use practices of residents improves energy saving through retrofitting. - Abstract: Retrofitting existing residential buildings has been claimed as one crucial way to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions within the Chinese residential sector. In China’s government-dominated retrofitting projects, the participation of residents is often neglected. The objective of this paper is to assess the influence level of public participation (before, during and after retrofit) on energy saving by comparing three Beijing neighborhoods with different retrofitting models: a central government-led model, a local government-led model, and an old neighborhood retrofit model. In the three cases data were collected through interviews with neighborhood workers and residents. The results show that residents’ involvement in pre-retrofit activities, in technology selection and in the use of technology differs greatly among the three cases. This study concludes that in order to improve the effectiveness of energy saving interventions, the motives, intentions and living habits of residents need to be given more consideration when designing and implementing retrofitting. By highlighting the importance of public participation this paper contributes to energy saving policy development in China

Integrated underground gas storage of CO2 and CH4 to decarbonize the "power-to-gas-to-gas-to-power" technology

Science.gov (United States)

Kühn, Michael; Streibel, Martin; Nakaten, Natalie; Kempka, Thomas

2014-05-01

Massive roll-out of renewable energy production units (wind turbines and solar panels) leads to date to excess energy which cannot be consumed at the time of production. So far, long-term storage is proposed via the so called 'power-to-gas' technology. Energy is transferred to methane gas and subsequently combusted for power production - 'power-to-gas-to-power' (PGP) - when needed. PGP profits from the existing infrastructure of the gas market and could be deployed immediately. However, major shortcoming is the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) from renewables and its emission into the atmosphere. We present an innovative idea which is a decarbonised extension of the PGP technology. The concept is based on a closed carbon cycle: (1) Hydrogen (H2) is generated from renewable energy by electrolysis and (2) transformed into methane (CH4) with CO2 taken from an underground geological storage. (3) CH4 produced is stored in a second storage underground until needed and (4) combusted in a combined-cycled power plant on site. (5) CO2 is separated during energy production and re-injected into the storage formation. We studied a show case for the cities Potsdam and Brandenburg/Havel in the Federal State of Brandenburg in Germany to determine the energy demand of the entire process chain and the costs of electricity (COE) using an integrated techno-economic modelling approach (Nakaten et al. 2014). Taking all of the individual process steps into account, the calculation shows an overall efficiency of 27.7 % (Streibel et al. 2013) with total COE of 20.43 euro-cents/kWh (Kühn et al. 2013). Although the level of efficiency is lower than for pump and compressed air storage, the resulting costs are similar in magnitude, and thus competitive on the energy storage market. The great advantage of the concept proposed here is that, in contrast to previous PGP approaches, this process is climate-neutral due to CO2 utilisation. For that purpose, process CO2 is temporally stored in an

The RedeGasEnergia and associated technologies to distributed generation, cogeneration and thermoelectric in developing the natural gas in Brazil; A RedeGasEnergia e as tecnologias associadas a geracao distribuida, cogeracao e termeletrica, no desenvolvimento da industria de gas natural no Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campos, Michel F. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

From the PETROBRAS Strategic Plan, where 2015 mission and vision are defined, one search to reach the corporative strategy: 'to lead the natural gas market (NG) and to act in a integrated way in the energy market'. Amongst the corporative politics to guide the business strategies, we will be focusing the new businesses development, having as guide line the annual average growth in the domestic demand of NG, 14.2%. The Investment Plan foresees for the energy and gas area investments around US$ 1.8 billion for the 2003/2007 period, being approximately US$ 500 million destined to the conclusion of the already initiated projects of thermoelectric plants. The Strategic Technological Committee of Energy and Gas (COMEG 2003) defined as technologies of interest for PETROBRAS: renewed energies; sustainable development; NG chemical transformation; NG transport, distribution and storage; distributed generation, co-generation and thermoelectric; production, distribution and use of hydrogen as energy vector; industrial, commercial and residential applications of NG; energy efficiency; automotive systems applications; high power electrical systems and environment. The technology explained in this work, for development of the Brazilian Natural Gas Industry, highly compliant with the NG mass use plan, is the distributed generation, co-generation and thermoelectric and its associated technologies (combustion, IGCC, thermoelectric cycles optimization, gas turbines, boiler/heat recovers, microturbines, fuel cells, combustion engines, renewed energies and cold generation among others). There are several business strategies related to this technology: to play in the electric energy business to assure the NG and derivatives market commercialized by PETROBRAS; to play in the development of alternative sources of energy and; to invest in conservation of energy and renewable energy to add value to the company business. The RedeGasEnergia portfolio has 22 projects in this

Operation and maintenance cost data for residential photovoltaic modules/panels

Science.gov (United States)

Oster, J. R., Jr.; Zaremski, D. R., Jr.; Albert, E. M.; Hawkins, S. L.

1980-01-01

Costs associated with the operation and maintenance of residential photovoltaic modules and arrays are studied. Six basic topics related to operation and maintenance to photovoltaic arrays are investigated: maintenance; cleaning; panel replacement; gasket repair/replacement; wiring repair/replacement; and termination repair/replacement. The effects of the mounting types (rack mount, stand off mount, direct mount and integral mount) and the installation/replacement type (sequential, partial interruption and independent) are identified and described. Methods of reducing maintenance costs are suggested.

An integrated transient model for simulating the operation of natural gas transport systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pambour, Kwabena Addo; Bolado-Lavin, Ricardo; Dijkema, Gerard P. J.

This paper presents an integrated transient hydraulic model that describes the dynamic behavior of natural gas transport systems (GTS). The model includes sub models of the most important facilities comprising a GTS, such as pipelines, compressor stations, pressure reduction stations, underground

Energy and behavioral impacts of integrative retrofits for residential buildings: What is at stake for building energy policy reforms in northern China?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Peng; Xu, Tengfang; Shen, Pengyuan

2013-01-01

Based upon the results from extensive building monitoring and surveys on occupant’s behaviors in a representative nine-story apartment building in northern China, building energy simulations were performed to evaluate the impacts of integrative retrofits implemented. Integrative retrofits required by the newer building energy standard produced significant heating-energy savings (i.e., 53%) when compared with baseline buildings commonly built in early 1980s. Taking into account district-heating-system upgrades as part of integrative retrofit measures, a representative apartment building was 66% more efficient than the baseline building. Contrary to expectation, little behavioral change was found in response to the provisions of monetary incentive, billing-method reform, or metering of heating energy use in individual apartment units. Yet this paper identified sizable energy savings potential if occupants’ behavioral changes were to actually happen. This indicates that provisions of financial incentives or individual metering were insufficient for triggering substantial behavioral changes leading toward more energy savings in the current buildings. It is recommended that innovative energy policies, technology upgrades, and education would be needed to promote behavioral changes toward additional energy savings. Finally, measures and strategies to further enhance thermal integrity criteria (e.g., insulations of roof and balcony) are recommended in China’s future building energy policy reforms. - Highlights: ► Integrative retrofits significantly reduce residential heating energy in north China. ► Energy effects of retrofits, incentive, billing and behavioral changes were studied. ► Monetary incentive, control or metering technologies did not lead to behavior change. ► Potential energy savings due to occupants’ behavioral changes are sizable. ► Thermal integrity needs to be enhanced in future building standards and policies.

Canadian natural gas winter 2005-06 outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

An outline of the Canadian natural gas commodity market was presented along with an outlook for Canadian natural gas supply and prices for the winter heating season of 2005-2006. In Canada, the level of natural gas production is much higher than domestic consumption. In 2004, Canadian natural gas production was 16.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), while domestic consumption was much lower at 8.2 Bcf/d. The United States, whose natural gas consumption is higher than production, imported about 16 per cent of its natural gas supply from Canada and 3 per cent from other countries via liquefied natural gas imports. Canadian natural gas exports to the United States in 2004 was 8.7 Bcf/d, representing 51 per cent of Canada's production. In Canada, the most important natural gas commodity markets that determine natural gas commodity prices include the intra-Alberta market and the market at the Dawn, Ontario natural gas hub. A well connected pipeline infrastructure connects the natural gas commodity markets in Canada and the United States, allowing supply and demand fundamentals to be transferred across all markets. As such, the integrated natural gas markets in both countries influence the demand, supply and price of natural gas. Canadian natural gas production doubled from 7 to 16.6 Bcf/d between 1986 and 2001. However, in the past 3 years, production from western Canada has leveled out despite record high drilling activity. This can be attributed to declining conventional reserves and the need to find new natural gas in smaller and lower-quality reservoirs. The combination of steady demand growth with slow supply growth has resulted in high natural gas prices since the beginning of 2004. In particular, hurricane damage in August 2005 disrupted natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico's offshore producing region, shutting-in nearly 9 Bcf/d at the height of damage. This paper summarized some of the key factors that influence natural gas market and prices, with

Forecasting HotWater Consumption in Residential Houses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linas Gelažanskas

2015-11-01

Full Text Available An increased number of intermittent renewables poses a threat to the system balance. As a result, new tools and concepts, like advanced demand-side management and smart grid technologies, are required for the demand to meet supply. There is a need for higher consumer awareness and automatic response to a shortage or surplus of electricity. The distributed water heater can be considered as one of the most energy-intensive devices, where its energy demand is shiftable in time without influencing the comfort level. Tailored hot water usage predictions and advanced control techniques could enable these devices to supply ancillary energy balancing services. The paper analyses a set of hot water consumption data from residential dwellings. This work is an important foundation for the development of a demand-side management strategy based on hot water consumption forecasting at the level of individual residential houses. Various forecasting models, such as exponential smoothing, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average, seasonal decomposition and a combination of them, are fitted to test different prediction techniques. These models outperform the chosen benchmark models (mean, naive and seasonal naive and show better performance measure values. The results suggest that seasonal decomposition of the time series plays the most significant part in the accuracy of forecasting.

Integrated field modelling[Oil and gas fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazarian, Bamshad

2002-07-01

This research project studies the feasibility of developing and applying an integrated field simulator to simulate the production performance of an entire oil or gas field. It integrates the performance of the reservoir, the wells, the chokes, the gathering system, the surface processing facilities and whenever applicable, gas and water injection systems. The approach adopted for developing the integrated simulator is to couple existing commercial reservoir and process simulators using available linking technologies. The simulators are dynamically linked and customised into a single hybrid application that benefits from the concept of open software architecture. The integrated field simulator is linked to an optimisation routine developed based on the genetic algorithm search strategies. This enables optimisation of the system at field level, from the reservoir to the process. Modelling the wells and the gathering network is achieved by customising the process simulator. This study demonstrated that the integrated simulation improves current capabilities to simulate the performance of the entire field and optimise its design. This is achieved by evaluating design options including spread and layout of the wells and gathering system, processing alternatives, reservoir development schemes and production strategies. Effectiveness of the integrated simulator is demonstrated and tested through several field-level case studies that discuss and investigate technical problems relevant to offshore field development. The case studies cover topics such as process optimisation, optimum tie-in of satellite wells into existing process facilities, optimal well location and field layout assessment of a high pressure high temperature deepwater oil field. Case study results confirm the viability of the total field simulator by demonstrating that the field performance simulation and optimal design were obtained in an automated process with treasonable computation time. No significant

The performance of residential micro-cogeneration coupled with thermal and electrical storage

Science.gov (United States)

Kopf, John

Over 80% of residential secondary energy consumption in Canada and Ontario is used for space and water heating. The peak electricity demands resulting from residential energy consumption increase the reliance on fossil-fuel generation stations. Distributed energy resources can help to decrease the reliance on central generation stations. Presently, distributed energy resources such as solar photovoltaic, wind and bio-mass generation are subsidized in Ontario. Micro-cogeneration is an emerging technology that can be implemented as a distributed energy resource within residential or commercial buildings. Micro-cogeneration has the potential to reduce a building's energy consumption by simultaneously generating thermal and electrical power on-site. The coupling of a micro-cogeneration device with electrical storage can improve the system's ability to reduce peak electricity demands. The performance potential of micro-cogeneration devices has yet to be fully realized. This research addresses the performance of a residential micro-cogeneration device and it's ability to meet peak occupant electrical loads when coupled with electrical storage. An integrated building energy model was developed of a residential micro-cogeneration system: the house, the micro-cogeneration device, all balance of plant and space heating components, a thermal storage device, an electrical storage device, as well as the occupant electrical and hot water demands. This model simulated the performance of a micro-cogeneration device coupled to an electrical storage system within a Canadian household. A customized controller was created in ESP-r to examine the impact of various system control strategies. The economic performance of the system was assessed from the perspective of a local energy distribution company and an end-user under hypothetical electricity export purchase price scenarios. It was found that with certain control strategies the micro-cogeneration system was able to improve the

Family events and the residential mobility of couples

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michielin, F.; Mulder, C.H.

2008-01-01

Using data from retrospective surveys carried out in the Netherlands during the early 1990s, we describe how the residential mobility of couples—that is, short-distance moves—is affected by family events and how fertility is affected by residential mobility. The results show that residential moves

Preliminary study or RSG-GAS reactor fuel element integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soejoedi, A.; Tarigan, A.; Sujalmo; Prayoga, S.; Suhadi

1996-01-01

After 8 years of operation, RSG-GAS was able to reach 15 cycles of reactor operation with 116 irradiated fuels, whereas 49 fuels were produced by NUKEM; and the other 67 were produced by PEBN-BATAN. At the 15 T h cycles, it have been used 40 standard fuels and 8 control fuels (Forty standard fuels and eight control fuels have been used in the 15 t h core cycles). Several activities have been performed in the reactor, to investigate the fuel integrity, among of them are: .fuel visual test with under water camera, which the results were recorder in the video cassette, primary water quality test during, reactor operation, fuel failure detector system examination and compared the PIE results in the Radiometallurgy Installation (RMI). The results showed that the fuel integrity, before and after irradiation, have still good performance and the fission products have not been released yet

Development of a short-term model to predict natural gas demand, March 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lihn, M.L.

1989-03-01

Project management decisions for the Gas Research Institute (GRI) R and D program require an appreciation of the short-term outlook for gas consumption. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the methodology used to develop short-term models for the residential, commercial, industrial, and electric utility sectors. The relative success of the models in projecting gas demand, compared with actual gas demand, is reviewed for each major gas-consuming sector. The comparison of actual to projected gas demand has pointed out several problems with the model, and possible solutions to these problems are discussed

Maximum Regional Emission Reduction Potential in Residential Sector Based on Spatial Distribution of Population and Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Winijkul, E.; Bond, T. C.

2011-12-01

In the residential sector, major activities that generate emissions are cooking and heating, and fuels ranging from traditional (wood) to modern (natural gas, or electricity) are used. Direct air pollutant emissions from this sector are low when natural gas or electricity are the dominant energy sources, as is the case in developed countries. However, in developing countries, people may rely on solid fuels and this sector can contribute a large fraction of emissions. The magnitude of the health loss associated with exposure to indoor smoke as well as its concentration among rural population in developing countries have recently put preventive measures high on the agenda of international development and public health organizations. This study focuses on these developing regions: Central America, Africa, and Asia. Current and future emissions from the residential sector depend on both fuel and cooking device (stove) type. Availability of fuels, stoves, and interventions depends strongly on spatial distribution. However, regional emission calculations do not consider this spatial dependence. Fuel consumption data is presented at country level, without information about where different types of fuel are used. Moreover, information about stove types that are currently used and can be used in the future is not available. In this study, we first spatially allocate current emissions within residential sector. We use Geographic Information System maps of temperature, electricity availability, forest area, and population to determine the distribution of fuel types and availability of stoves. Within each country, consumption of different fuel types, such as fuelwood, coal, and LPG is distributed among different area types (urban, peri-urban, and rural area). Then, the cleanest stove technologies which could be used in the area are selected based on the constraints of each area, i.e. availability of resources. Using this map, the maximum emission reduction compared with

Measure Guideline. High Efficiency Natural Gas Furnaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brand, L. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States); Rose, W. [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States)

2012-10-01

This measure guideline covers installation of high-efficiency gas furnaces, including: when to install a high-efficiency gas furnace as a retrofit measure; how to identify and address risks; and the steps to be used in the selection and installation process. The guideline is written for Building America practitioners and HVAC contractors and installers. It includes a compilation of information provided by manufacturers, researchers, and the Department of Energy as well as recent research results from the Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR) Building America team.

Micro-CHP Systems for Residential Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timothy DeValve; Benoit Olsommer

2007-09-30

Integrated micro-CHP (Cooling, Heating and Power) system solutions represent an opportunity to address all of the following requirements at once: conservation of scarce energy resources, moderation of pollutant release into our environment, and assured comfort for home-owners. The objective of this effort was to establish strategies for development, demonstration, and sustainable commercialization of cost-effective integrated CHP systems for residential applications. A unified approach to market and opportunity identification, technology assessment, specific system designs, adaptation to modular product platform component conceptual designs was employed. UTRC's recommendation to U.S. Department of Energy is to go ahead with the execution of the proposed product development and commercialization strategy plan under Phase II of this effort. Recent indicators show the emergence of micro-CHP. More than 12,000 micro-CHP systems have been sold worldwide so far, around 7,500 in 2004. Market projections predict a world-wide market growth over 35% per year. In 2004 the installations were mainly in Europe (73.5%) and in Japan (26.4%). The market in North-America is almost non-existent (0.1%). High energy consumption, high energy expenditure, large spark-spread (i.e., difference between electricity and fuel costs), big square footage, and high income are the key conditions for market acceptance. Today, these conditions are best found in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New England states. A multiple stage development plan is proposed to address risk mitigation. These stages include concept development and supplier engagement, component development, system integration, system demonstration, and field trials. A two stage commercialization strategy is suggested based on two product versions. The first version--a heat and power system named Micro-Cogen, provides the heat and essential electrical power to the

Development of a Simulation Framework for Analyzing Security of Supply in Integrated Gas and Electric Power Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pambour, Kwabena Addo; Erdener, Burcin Cakir; Bolado-Lavin, Ricardo; Dijkema, Gerhard

2017-01-01

Gas and power networks are tightly coupled and interact with each other due to physically interconnected facilities. In an integrated gas and power network, a contingency observed in one system may cause iterative cascading failures, resulting in network wide disruptions. Therefore, understanding

Sustainable renovation of residential buildings and the landlord/tenant dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ástmarsson, Björn; Jensen, Per Anker; Maslesa, Esmir

2013-01-01

The landlord/tenant dilemma arises when the interests of landlords and tenants misalign and is one of the greatest barriers hindering the development of sustainable renovation of residential buildings in Europe. The aim of this research is to investigate how regulatory changes and contractual solutions can help solve the landlord/tenant dilemma in relation to sustainable renovation of residential buildings, and how the general awareness of sustainable renovation can be increased. Particular focus is on whether tools like energy performance contracting and energy labeling can help solve the landlord/tenant dilemma. The research was done in relation to the specific situation in Denmark, but theory, information and experiences from other countries were included. The results show that there are plenty of opportunities to overcome the landlord/tenant dilemma, but principal/agent problems can only be overcome with a package solution. In the Danish national context the package solution must consist of legislative changes, financial incentives and better dissemination of information. Therefore, an array of different tools must be integrated and used in cooperation to overcome the dilemma. - Highlights: • There are plenty of opportunities to overcome the landlord/tenant dilemma. • The principal/agent problems can only be overcome with a package solution. • An array of different tools must be integrated and used in cooperation. • Legislative changes, financial incentives and better dissemination of information

Supply prospects and network integration in the European natural gas sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergmann, B.

1998-01-01

At least for the next 10-15 years, natural gas will be the fastest growing energy form in Europe, with a higher rate of growth in consumption (from a lower base) in central Europe than in western Europe. Although most of the prospective demand until 2010 is covered by signed import contracts and indigenous production, important additional gas supply capacity still has to be developed out of a plenitude of reserves within and (in the long run primarily) outside western and central Europe. The real problem is how to mobilise the reserves economically and direct them towards the European market, in competition with other markets. Europe has a sophisticated transmission system whose development has gone hand-in-hand with long-term import agreements. Among the missing links is the Interconnector, which, at the end of 1998, is due to integrate the UK and Ireland into mainland Europe. This is expected to enhance security of supply in both areas, to balance prices and maybe also to foster ideas of liberalisation. Overall, the European gas industry is in an excellent position to develop the supply of gas in an environmentally benign way. The future belongs all the more to natural gas, the fewer the mistakes that are made when it comes to matters of legal frameworks and taxation

The residential demand for electricity in Australia: an application of the bounds testing approach to cointegration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayan, P.K.; Smyth, R.

2005-01-01

This paper reports estimates of the long- and short-run elasticities of residential demand for electricity in Australia using the bounds testing procedure to cointegration, within an autoregressive distributive lag framework. In the long run, we find that income and own price are the most important determinants of residential electricity demand, while temperature is significant some of the time and gas prices are insignificant. Our estimates of long-run income elasticity and price elasticity of demand are consistent with previous studies, although they are towards the lower end of existing estimates. As expected, the short-run elasticities are much smaller than the long-run elasticities, and the coefficients on the error-correction coefficients are small consistent with the fact that in the short-run energy appliances are fixed. (author)

Natural gas opportunities, utilization and trades (in a European context)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corke, M.J.

1996-01-01

The historical development of natural gas consumption in Europe has relied heavily on requirements for space heating energy in the residential/commercial sector and for process energy and feedstock in the industrial sector. This paper reviews historical gas utilization trends and considers how these are likely to develop in the future. In addition to the above somewhat negative factors, the bright outlook for gas utilization in both large scale and small scale power and cogeneration facilities is reviewed and the implications of power industry restructuring for natural gas utilization are discussed. Finally, the outlook for overall European natural gas demand and trade is briefly considered. (author)

Localization of fugitive methane emission from natural gas distribution network of Titas Gas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandal Pradip C.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to localize the fugitive leaks from the above ground facilities of the existing system of Titas Gas (TG after developing mathematical model for fugitive emission. Soap screening techniques and Gasurveyor 500 series instrument were used in this study for detecting potential leaks. Leaked gas was quantified using either Hi-Flow gas sampler or bagging measurements system. The results show that the respective potential gas leaking point of City Gate Station (CGS, commercial Regulating and Metering Station (RMS, industrial RMS, residential RMS and Town Bordering Station (TBS/ District Regulating Station (DRS are scrubber dump valve (average leak rate 217.00 L/min, insulating point (average leak rate 4.04 L/min, tube fitting connector (average leak rate 8.00 L/min, connector (average leak rate 1.55 L/min and pressure relief valve (average leak rate 437.92 L/min. Fugitive methane emission can be reduced by stopping leaks of fittings or components having high KLeak value.

Efficient Energy Management for a Grid-Tied Residential Microgrid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad; Guerrero, Josep M.; Quintero, Juan Carlos Vasquez

2017-01-01

In this paper, an effective energy management system (EMS) for application in integrated building and microgrid system is introduced and implemented as a multi-objective optimization problem. The proposed architecture covers different key modelling aspects such as distributed heat and electricity......’s objectives, the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed model is studied and validated compared to the existing residential EMSs. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed EMS has the capability not only to conserve energy in sustainable homes and microgrid system and to reduce energy...

Air Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Development: A Barnett Shale Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, C. W.; Zielinska, B.; Campbell, D.; Fujita, E.

2013-12-01

Many atmospheric pollutants have been linked to the lifecycle of unconventional natural gas. Attributing air emissions to particular segments of the natural gas life cycle can be difficult. Further, describing individual and community exposure to air pollutants is complex since contaminants can vary spatially and temporally, based on proximity to point sources, magnitude, transport and dispersion of emissions. Here we will present data from the Barnett Shale formation near Dallas/Fort Worth, TX with the goal of providing a better understanding of the extent to which population exposure to air toxics is associated with emissions from natural gas production operations in this region. The Barnett Shale formation covers nearly 13000 km2 and is located west of Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. This formation contains natural gas, natural gas condensate, and light oil. Samples were collected in April-May 2010 in two phases with the purpose of Phase 1 being to characterize emissions from major gas production facilities in the area, while Phase 2 involved more intensive monitoring of two residential areas identified in Phase 1. One of the residential areas was downwind of a gas well and two condensate tanks and the other area was close to a compressor station. Phase 1 sampling involved our mobile monitoring system, which includes real-time estimates of volatile organic compounds (VOC), using a portable photoionization detector monitor; continuous NO, PM2.5 mass, and a GasFindIR camera. Phase 1 also included 1-hr integrated canister VOC samples and carbonyl compound samples, using DNPH impregnated Sep-Pac Si cartridges. These samples were analyzed by GC/MS and high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector. Phase 2 sampling included 7-day integrated passive samples for NOx, NO2 and SO2 using Ogawa passive samplers, and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), 1,3-butadiene, and carbonyl compounds (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein) using

Integration of real-time operational data in geographical information for power and gas business; Integrando em tempo real os dados operacionais aos sistemas geo referenciados do negocio gas e energia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salcedo, Fernando Jose de Carvalho; Carvalho, Ronaldo Jose Seixas de [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

The Strategical Management of Data and Information of the Gas e Energia, has as its being reason, the provision of right information, in the right place and in the right time, based on the correct sources, adding strategic value to Business. The SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), give to the Thermoelectrical Plant Operators and Electrical Transporting Operators the integration with the operational stations, measurement and energy delivery. The Geographical Information Systems - GIS, give the maps visualization with geopolitics aspects, gas pipeline infrastructure and satellite images. The Historical Data systems, have as its requirements the interface between many SCADA systems by means of accompaniment of historical data, real time data of the common variables of the process (outflow, pressure, temperature, egg.) and KPI's visualization - typical performance indicators of energy systems (non-availability, generation efficiency and distribution, egg.). Based on the business systemic vision, the Real-Time Enterprise Architecture - Real Time data integration and Performance Indicators based on the GIS software platform was developed in the Gas e Energia enterprise scenario. The present action has, as its focus, the dynamic visualization in real-time of the integrated data to the GIS infrastructure of the Gas Pipelines and Thermoelectrical Plants, guaranteeing the integrity, the audit trail of the information and a pro active vision for the Management of the Gas e Energia Business. (author)

Integration of real-time operational data in geographical information for power and gas business; Integrando em tempo real os dados operacionais aos sistemas geo referenciados do negocio gas e energia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salcedo, Fernando Jose de Carvalho; Carvalho, Ronaldo Jose Seixas de [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

The Strategical Management of Data and Information of the Gas e Energia, has as its being reason, the provision of right information, in the right place and in the right time, based on the correct sources, adding strategic value to Business. The SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), give to the Thermoelectrical Plant Operators and Electrical Transporting Operators the integration with the operational stations, measurement and energy delivery. The Geographical Information Systems - GIS, give the maps visualization with geopolitics aspects, gas pipeline infrastructure and satellite images. The Historical Data systems, have as its requirements the interface between many SCADA systems by means of accompaniment of historical data, real time data of the common variables of the process (outflow, pressure, temperature, egg.) and KPI's visualization - typical performance indicators of energy systems (non-availability, generation efficiency and distribution, egg.). Based on the business systemic vision, the Real-Time Enterprise Architecture - Real Time data integration and Performance Indicators based on the GIS software platform was developed in the Gas e Energia enterprise scenario. The present action has, as its focus, the dynamic visualization in real-time of the integrated data to the GIS infrastructure of the Gas Pipelines and Thermoelectrical Plants, guaranteeing the integrity, the audit trail of the information and a pro active vision for the Management of the Gas e Energia Business. (author)

Europe's cross-border gas trade on the rise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

Europe is poised for more growth in the gas industry that is certain to expand international gas trade into the next century. In the affluent societies of western Europe, gas growth will be fueled by an increasing public perception that it is the least environmentally harmful of fossil fuels. That factor is helping boost natural gas and LNG trade in many parts of the world. Gas will continue to penetrate the European residential market, but the biggest growth will occur in the industrial use, particularly for electrical power generation. The European Community has belatedly lifted restrictions on the use of a gas as a fuel for power generation. That, combined with the greater efficiency of cogeneration systems, is likely to set off a 100% increase in Europe's gas fueled power generation capacity in the first 5 years of 1990s

Strategy and use of pipelined natural gas in Brazil: the case of Rio de Janeiro State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, M.G.

1991-01-01

The systems of energy distribution by pipelined fuel gas in the residential sector of the state of Rio de Janeiro is analyzed. It studies the potential market for the expansion of pipelined gas and its distribution in urban areas, and presents as well commentaries and recommendation on energy policy for the use of natural gas. (author)

Estimating insured residential losses from large flood scenarios on the Tone River, Japan – a data integration approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Okada

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Flooding on the Tone River, which drains the largest catchment area in Japan and is now home to 12 million people, poses significant risk to the Greater Tokyo Area. In April 2010, an expert panel in Japan, the Central Disaster Prevention Council, examined the potential for large-scale flooding and outlined possible mitigation measures in the Greater Tokyo Area. One of the scenarios considered closely mimics the pattern of flooding that occurred with the passage of Typhoon Kathleen in 1947 and would potentially flood some 680 000 households above floor level. Building upon that report, this study presents a Geographical Information System (GIS-based data integration approach to estimate the insurance losses for residential buildings and contents as just one component of the potential financial cost. Using a range of publicly available data – census information, location reference data, insurance market information and flood water elevation data – this analysis finds that insurance losses for residential property alone could reach approximately 1 trillion JPY (US$ 12.5 billion. Total insurance losses, including commercial and industrial lines of business, are likely to be at least double this figure with total economic costs being much greater again. The results are sensitive to the flood scenario assumed, position of levee failures, local flood depths and extents, population and building heights. The Average Recurrence Interval (ARI of the rainfall following Typhoon Kathleen has been estimated to be on the order of 200 yr; however, at this juncture it is not possible to put an ARI on the modelled loss since we cannot know the relative or joint probability of the different flooding scenarios. It is possible that more than one of these scenarios could occur simultaneously or that levee failure at one point might lower water levels downstream and avoid a failure at all other points. In addition to insurance applications, spatial analyses like

Determining the market value of high-rise residential buildings based on evaluation of consumer properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolobova Svetlana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available As you know, high-rise construction is an indicator of the practical implementation of advanced innovative technologies in the construction industry of the country. High-rise building inevitably comes to the big cities, in connection with the shortage and value of land. The life cycle of any construction project, including high-rise buildings consists of chains: of engineering survey - design-construction-operation. In the process of operation of a tall building, decisions about major repairs or reconstruction of a building are made for decision-making on further use. This article describes methods of assessing the consumer quality of high-rise residential buildings and the establishment of prices based on consumer characteristics of a tall residential building. It is proposed to assess the premises under their quality characteristics. The study was conducted to establish the influence of individual, comprehensive and integral indicators of comparable quality for effective quality living spaces. Simultaneously, there was established a relationship of quality with the consumer cost of housing, ultimately with the potential needs of owners, tenants of the home, lessor dwelling, or buyers of residential properties and other participants in the residential real estate market. This relationship further creates consumer requirements to quality standard of premises at a certain stage of socio-economic development.

Determining the market value of high-rise residential buildings based on evaluation of consumer properties

Science.gov (United States)

Kolobova, Svetlana

2018-03-01

As you know, high-rise construction is an indicator of the practical implementation of advanced innovative technologies in the construction industry of the country. High-rise building inevitably comes to the big cities, in connection with the shortage and value of land. The life cycle of any construction project, including high-rise buildings consists of chains: of engineering survey - design-construction-operation. In the process of operation of a tall building, decisions about major repairs or reconstruction of a building are made for decision-making on further use. This article describes methods of assessing the consumer quality of high-rise residential buildings and the establishment of prices based on consumer characteristics of a tall residential building. It is proposed to assess the premises under their quality characteristics. The study was conducted to establish the influence of individual, comprehensive and integral indicators of comparable quality for effective quality living spaces. Simultaneously, there was established a relationship of quality with the consumer cost of housing, ultimately with the potential needs of owners, tenants of the home, lessor dwelling, or buyers of residential properties and other participants in the residential real estate market. This relationship further creates consumer requirements to quality standard of premises at a certain stage of socio-economic development.

Solar Adoption and Energy Consumption in the Residential Sector

Science.gov (United States)

McAllister, Joseph Andrew

This dissertation analyzes the energy consumption behavior of residential adopters of solar photovoltaic systems (solar-PV). Based on large data sets from the San Diego region that have been assembled or otherwise acquired by the author, the dissertation quantifies changes in energy consumption after solar-PV installation and determines whether certain household characteristics are correlated with such changes. In doing so, it seeks to answer two related questions: First, "Do residential solar adopters increase or decrease their electricity consumption after they install a solar-PV system?" Assuming that certain categories of residential adopters increase and others decrease, the second question is "Which residential adopters increase and which decrease their consumption and why?" The database that was used to conduct this analysis includes information about 5,243 residential systems in San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) service territory installed between January 2007 and December 2010. San Diego is a national leader in the installation of small-scale solar-electric systems, with over 12,000 systems in the region installed as of January 2012, or around 14% of the total number installed in California. The author performed detailed characterization of a significant subset of the solar installations in the San Diego region. Assembled data included technical and economic characteristics of the systems themselves; the solar companies that sold and installed them; individual customer electric utility billing data; metered PV production data for a subgroup of these solar systems; and data about the properties where the systems are located. Primarily, the author was able to conduct an electricity consumption analysis at the individual household level for 2,410 PV systems installed in SDG&E service territory between January 2007 and December 2010. This analysis was designed to detect changes in electricity consumption from the pre-solar to the post-installation period. To

Low-carbon-oriented dynamic optimization of residential energy pricing in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Yongxiu; Liu, Yangyang; Wang, Jianhui; Xia, Tian; Zhao, Yushan

2014-01-01

In China, the energy pricing mechanism has an insufficient linkage with other energy prices. As a result of the unreasonable price level, it is impossible to exploit fully the substitution elasticity among energy resources and there is a negative impact on achieving energy conservation and energy efficiency. This paper proposes an optimized mechanism for residential energy prices in China, which maximizes the total social surplus subject to some related constraints. Three types of energy pricing mechanisms are designed based on China's low-carbon targets and the optimization of residential energy price policies through the dynamic CGE model. Compared with the energy price linkage method, the results show that the market netback value mechanism has a greater impact on the total social surplus. In order to achieve further low-carbon targets, the proportion of second and third tier residents can be expanded, while the energy prices could be deregulated to some degree. In addition, considering residential affordability, the government may take into account different electricity pricing mechanisms for different tiers of residents. Electricity pricing for the first tier, the second tier and the third tier should be based respectively on cost, the integration of energy price linkage and the market netback value mechanism. - Highlights: • Residential energy price mechanisms can be considered in the D-CGE model. • The maximization of total social surplus is the optimized objective. • The market netback value mechanism has a greater impact on the total social surplus. • Production cost and energy price conduction should be considered in price mechanisms. • Government should take the energy system as a whole to optimize energy prices

Measure Guideline: High Efficiency Natural Gas Furnaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brand, L.; Rose, W.

2012-10-01

This Measure Guideline covers installation of high-efficiency gas furnaces. Topics covered include when to install a high-efficiency gas furnace as a retrofit measure, how to identify and address risks, and the steps to be used in the selection and installation process. The guideline is written for Building America practitioners and HVAC contractors and installers. It includes a compilation of information provided by manufacturers, researchers, and the Department of Energy as well as recent research results from the Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR) Building America team.

Integration optimisation of elevated pressure air separation unit with gas turbine in an IGCC power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Long; Deng, Guangyi; Li, Zheng; Wang, Qinhui; Ileleji, Klein E.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • IGCC thermodynamic model was setup carefully. • Simulations focus on integration between an elevated pressure ASU with gas turbine. • Different recommended solutions from those of low pressure ASUs are figured out. • Full N 2 injection and 80% air extraction was suggested as the optimum integration. - Abstract: The integration optimisation between an elevated pressure air separation unit (EP-ASU) and gas turbine is beneficial to promote net efficiency of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. This study sets up the thermodynamic model for a 400 MW plant specially coupled with an EP-ASU, aiming to examine system performances under different integrations and acquire the optimum solution. Influences of air extraction rate at conditions of without, partial and full N 2 injection, as well as the effects of N 2 injection rate when adopting separate ASU, partial and full integrated ASU were both analysed. Special attention has been paid to performance differences between utilising an EP-ASU and a low pressure unit. Results indicated that integration solution with a separate EP-ASU or without N 2 injection would not be reasonable. Among various recommended solutions for different integration conditions, N 2 injection rate increased with the growth of air extraction rate. The integration with an air extraction rate of 80% and full N 2 injection was suggested as the optimum solution. It is concluded that the optimum integration solution when adopting an EP-ASU is different from that using a low pressure one.

Suggestions on Strengthening Greening Construction of Ecological Residential Areas

OpenAIRE

Li, Peng

2013-01-01

Greening construction is an important part of the construction of ecological residential areas, but there exist some misunderstandings in greening construction of ecological residential districts at present. Based on the description of functions of green space in ecological residential areas, the summarization of principles of greening design, and the discussion of questions in greening construction of ecological residential districts, some suggestions as well as specific measures for strengt...

Business Case for Integrated Reporting in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tajudeen J. AYOOLA

2013-03-01

were sourced from the annual reports and stand-alone sustainability reports of the six multinational companies operating in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The results found that efforts to address environmental, social and governance reporting (ESG were adhoc, short term and unrelated to the core activities of the corporations and as such were not integrated into their business strategies and model. Information on ESG was also duplicated over many medium in a haphazard and distorted form. The study therefore concluded that the introduction of integrated reporting will streamline performance reporting that is in line with international best practice in the sector.

Social integration in a reversed integration neighbourhood? : Perspectives of neighbours, family members, and direct support professionals and the role of formal and informal support

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Venema, Eleonora

2016-01-01

This research focused on the social integration of people with intellectual disabilities who live in a reversed integration neighbourhood. Reversed integration means that the grounds of the residential facility is turned into a regular neighbourhood wherein people with and without intellectual

Experimental and numerical modelling of thermal performance of a residential building in Belgrade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vučićević Biljana

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to evaluate simulation of thermal performance of a residential 4 floors high building placed in the suburb of Belgrade (ground and 3 upper floors with it's total surface area of 1410 m2. It's supplied with liquid petroleum gas storage tank as a fuel reservoir since there is automatic gas boiler in each apartment. Measurements have been carried out in first floor apartment (68 m2 heating area in heating season period. Measured parameters are: inside and outside air temperature and U-value of apartment envelope. Weather data is obtained by using METEONORM, the software package for climatic data calculation based on last 10 years measurements. TRNSYS 16 has been used as the simulation tool. The behavior of the building in terms of heating loads for climate on a daily and monthly basis in heating season is investigated. The calculations show possibility for saving energy by optimization inside temperature during different gas boiler working regimes.

Performance analysis of an integrated gas-, steam- and organic fluid-cycle thermal power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oko, C.O.C.; Njoku, I.H.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the performance analysis of an existing combined cycle power plant augmented with a waste heat fired organic Rankine cycle power plant for extra power generation. This was achieved by performing energy and exergy analysis of the integrated gas-, steam- and organic fluid-cycle thermal power plant (IPP). Heat source for the subcritical organic Rankine cycle (ORC) was the exhaust flue gases from the heat recovery steam generators of a 650 MW natural gas fired combined cycle power plant. The results showed that extra 12.4 MW of electricity was generated from the attached ORC unit using HFE7100 as working fluid. To select ORC working fluid, ten isentropic fluids were screened and HFE7100 produced the highest net power output and cycle efficiency. Exergy and energy efficiencies of the IPP improved by 1.95% and 1.93%, respectively. The rate of exergy destruction in the existing combined cycle plant was highest in the combustion chamber, 59%, whereas in the ORC, the highest rate of exergy destruction occurred in the evaporator, 62%. Simulations showed exergy efficiency of the IPP decreased with increasing ambient temperature. Exit stack flue gas temperature reduced from 126 °C in the combined cycle power plant to 100 °C in the integrated power plant. - Highlights: • Combined cycle plant retrofitted with ORC produced extra 12.4 MW electric power. • ORC is powered with low temperature flue gas from an existing combined cycle plant. • Exergy destruction rate in integrated plant(IPP) is less than in combined plant. • Exit stack temperature of the IPP has less environmental thermal pollution. • Exergy and energy efficiencies of the IPP improved by 1.95% and 1.93%, respectively.

On the integrability of a Hamiltonian reduction of a 2+1-dimensional non-isothermal rotating gas cloud system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, C; Schief, W K

2011-01-01

A 2+1-dimensional version of a non-isothermal gas dynamic system with origins in the work of Ovsiannikov and Dyson on spinning gas clouds is shown to admit a Hamiltonian reduction which is completely integrable when the adiabatic index γ = 2. This nonlinear dynamical subsystem is obtained via an elliptic vortex ansatz which is intimately related to the construction of a Lax pair in the integrable case. The general solution of the gas dynamic system is derived in terms of Weierstrass (elliptic) functions. The latter derivation makes use of a connection with a stationary nonlinear Schrödinger equation and a Steen–Ermakov–Pinney equation, the superposition principle of which is based on the classical Lamé equation

A hybrid society model for simulating residential electricity consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Minjie; Hu, Zhaoguang; Wu, Junyong; Zhou, Yuhui

2008-01-01

In this paper, a hybrid social model of econometric model and social influence model is proposed for evaluating the influence of pricing policy and public education policy on residential habit of electricity using in power resources management. And, a hybrid society simulation platform based on the proposed model, called residential electricity consumption multi-agent systems (RECMAS), is designed for simulating residential electricity consumption by multi-agent system. RECMAS is composed of consumer agent, power supplier agent, and policy maker agent. It provides the policy makers with a useful tool to evaluate power price policies and public education campaigns in different scenarios. According to an influenced diffusion mechanism, RECMAS can simulate the residential electricity demand-supply chain and analyze impacts of the factors on residential electricity consumption. Finally, the proposed method is used to simulate urban residential electricity consumption in China. (author)

A hybrid society model for simulating residential electricity consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Minjie [School of Electrical Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing (China); State Power Economic Research Institute, Beijing (China); Hu, Zhaoguang [State Power Economic Research Institute, Beijing (China); Wu, Junyong; Zhou, Yuhui [School of Electrical Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing (China)

2008-12-15

In this paper, a hybrid social model of econometric model and social influence model is proposed for evaluating the influence of pricing policy and public education policy on residential habit of electricity using in power resources management. And, a hybrid society simulation platform based on the proposed model, called residential electricity consumption multi-agent systems (RECMAS), is designed for simulating residential electricity consumption by multi-agent system. RECMAS is composed of consumer agent, power supplier agent, and policy maker agent. It provides the policy makers with a useful tool to evaluate power price policies and public education campaigns in different scenarios. According to an influenced diffusion mechanism, RECMAS can simulate the residential electricity demand-supply chain and analyze impacts of the factors on residential electricity consumption. Finally, the proposed method is used to simulate urban residential electricity consumption in China. (author)

77 FR 34123 - Pipeline Safety: Public Meeting on Integrity Management of Gas Distribution Pipelines

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA-2012-0100] Pipeline Safety: Public Meeting on Integrity Management of Gas Distribution Pipelines AGENCY: Office of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, DOT. ACTION...

PRN 2011-1: Residential Exposure Joint Venture

Science.gov (United States)

This PR Notice is to advise registrants of an industry-wide joint venture, titled the Residential Exposure Joint Venture (REJV), which has developed a national survey regarding residential consumer use/usage data for pesticides.

Trends of multiple air pollutants emissions from residential coal combustion in Beijing and its implication on improving air quality for control measures

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Yifeng; Zhou, Zhen; Nie, Teng; Wang, Kun; Nie, Lei; Pan, Tao; Wu, Xiaoqing; Tian, Hezhong; Zhong, Lianhong; Li, Jing; Liu, Huanjia; Liu, Shuhan; Shao, Panyang

2016-10-01

for residential heating can be replaced with gas-burning wall-heaters, ground-source heat pumps, solar energy and electricity. In areas with inadequate clean energy sources, low-sulfur coal should be used instead of the traditional raw coal with high sulfur and ash content, thereby slightly reducing the emissions of PM, SO2, CO and other toxic pollutants.

Technical Problems of Residential Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Nowogońska, Beata; Cibis, Jerzy

2017-10-01

Beauty, utility, durability - these are the features of good architecture and should also be the distinguishing qualities of every residential building. But do beauty and utility remain along with the passing of time? Performance characteristics are an indicator of both, the technical as well as aesthetic state of buildings. Aesthetic needs are in disagreement with the merciless aging process. The beauty of a city is formed not only by the original forms of new residential buildings, but also by existing tenement housing; thus preserving their aesthetics becomes a necessity. Time is continuously passing and along with it, aging intensifies. The aging process is a natural phenomenon for every material. The life expectancy of building materials is also limited. Along with the passing of time, the technical state of residential buildings continuously deteriorates. With the passing of time, the aesthetic values and preferences of users of flats change and the usability of the building decreases. The permanence of buildings, including residential buildings, is shaped not only by the forces of nature but also by activities of humans. A long lifespan is ensured by carrying out ongoing, systematic renovation-repair works. It is thanks to them that buildings derived from past centuries are still being used, and their market attractiveness is not decreasing.

Integration of biohydrogen fermentation and gas separation processes to recover and enrich hydrogen

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bélafi-Bakó, K.; Búcsú, D.; Pientka, Zbyněk; Bálint, B.; Herbel, Z.; Kovács, K. L.; Wessling, M.

2006-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 11 (2006), s. 1490-1495 ISSN 0360-3199 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/06/1207 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : integrated system * gas separation * polymer membranes Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.612, year: 2006

Metallurgy of gas turbine blades with integral shroud and its influence on blades performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazur, Z.; Marino, C.; Kubiak, J.

1999-01-01

The influence of the microstructure of the gas turbine blades with integral shroud on the blades performance is presented. The analysis of the solidification process of the gas turbine blades during conventionally casting process (equiaxed grains) with all elements which has influence on the mode of its solidification and variation of the microstructure is carried out. Also, the evaluation of the failure of the gas turbine blade is present. A detailed analysis of the blade tip shroud microstructure (presence of the equiaxed and columnar grains) and its influence on the failure initiation and propagation is carried out. Finally, conclusions and some necessary improvements of the blades casting process to prevent blades failures are presented. (Author) 2 refs

Methodology for the Detection of Residential Vulnerable Areas - the Case of Barcelona

Science.gov (United States)

Cornado, Cossima; Garcia-Almirall, Pilar; Vima, Sara; Vila Busqued, Gemma; Uzqueda, Angel

2017-10-01

In a context of a shifting environmental, economic and social paradigm, European cities face a situation that is at the same time challenge and opportunity: the need for urban rehabilitation of the vulnerable degraded socio residential fabric. Public administrations in big cities and metropolitan areas are confronted with both the undercurrent need of actualization of the built stock and the rise of urban residential vulnerability. The city of Barcelona, as many others, is the result of multiple phenomena with high urban and social consequences. The socio spatial integration of immigrant population, the touristic rise and gentrification processes are current situations simultaneously taking place in the city. In parallel, a framework of economic crisis in which public investments in urban and social matters decrease, provides a temporal juncture that results into an increase of social polarization and socio economic inequality that becomes evident and expressed in the territory. This research focuses in the case of Barcelona, and presents a methodology based on a system of indicators elaborated through the exploitation of statistical data complemented with very specific data supplied by the Barcelona City Council. The accurate knowledge of socio demographic, socioeconomic and residential and urban characteristics is crucial in order to define the very complex urban dynamics that describe in the city neighbourhoods and areas. Residential vulnerability is defined as an assembly of objective conditions that relate to residential space and indicate situations of social discrimination and structural disadvantage of the population, related to a specific time and context. Thus, it is relevant to analyse the concentration of certain indicators of vulnerability in specific places or neighbourhoods, to contrast its effect on the socio-residential situation and its temporal evolution in order to identify tendencies. The present study contributes to the identification of data

Integrated transport code system for a multicomponent plasma in a gas dynamic trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anikeev, A.V.; Karpushov, A.N.; Noak, K.; Strogalova, S.L.

2000-01-01

This report is focused on the development of the theoretical and numerical models of multicomponent high-β plasma confinement and transport in the gas-dynamic trap (GDT). In order to simulate the plasma behavior in the GDT as well as that in the GDT-based neutron source the Integrated Transport Code System is developed from existing stand-alone codes calculating the target plasma, the fast ions and the neutral gas in the GDT. The code system considers the full dependence of the transport phenomena on space, time, energy and angle variables as well as the interactions between the particle fields [ru

Electricity and gas market observatory. 3. quarter 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 1. quarter 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 1. 2005 quarter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 2. quarter 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 4. 2005 quarter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 2. 2005 quarter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Electricity and gas market observatory. 3. 2005 quarter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Since July 2004, all electricity and gas consumers can be eligible according to their consumption site, as long as all or part of the electricity or gas consumed is designed for non-residential use. The purpose of the observatory is to provide the general public with indicators for monitoring market deregulation. It both covers the wholesale and retail electricity and gas markets in Metropolitan France. This observatory is updated every three months and data are available on CRE web site (www.cre.fr). It completes the information already published by CRE: practical information for eligible customers: consumer guide, list of suppliers, communications regarding markets running, CRE annual activity report. (author)

Design and Evaluation of a Net Zero Energy Low-Income Residential Housing Development in Lafayette, Colorado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dean, J.; VanGeet, O.; Simkus, S.; Eastment, M.

2012-03-01

This report outlines the lessons learned and sub-metered energy performance of an ultra low energy single family ranch home and duplex unit, called the Paradigm Pilot Project and presents the final design recommendations for a 153-unit net zero energy residential development called the Josephine Commons Project. Affordable housing development authorities throughout the United States continually struggle to find the most cost-effective pathway to provide quality, durable, and sustainable housing. The challenge for these authorities is to achieve the mission of delivering affordable housing at the lowest cost per square foot in environments that may be rural, urban, suburban, or within a designated redevelopment district. With the challenges the U.S. faces regarding energy, the environmental impacts of consumer use of fossil fuels and the increased focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, housing authorities are pursuing the goal of constructing affordable, energy efficient and sustainable housing at the lowest life-cycle cost of ownership. This report outlines the lessons learned and sub-metered energy performance of an ultra-low-energy single family ranch home and duplex unit, called the Paradigm Pilot Project and presents the final design recommendations for a 153-unit net zero energy residential development called the Josephine Commons Project. In addition to describing the results of the performance monitoring from the pilot project, this paper describes the recommended design process of (1) setting performance goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy on a life-cycle cost basis, (2) using an integrated, whole building design approach, and (3) incorporating systems-built housing, a green jobs training program, and renewable energy technologies into a replicable high performance, low-income housing project development model.

Integrated technique of planning the capital repair of residential buildings and objects of transport infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Dement'eva, Marina

2017-10-01

The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of two fundamentally different methods for planning capital repairs of objects of transport infrastructure and residential development. The first method was based on perspective long-term plans. Normative service life were the basis for planning the periodicity of repairs. The second method was based on the performance of repairs in fact of the onset of the malfunction. Problems of financing repair work, of the uneven aging of constructs and engineering systems, different wear mechanism in different conditions of exploitation, absence of methods of planning repairs of administrative and production buildings (depots, stations, etc.) justify the need to optimize methods of planning the repair and the relevance of this paper. The aim of the study was to develop the main provisions of an integrated technique for planning the capital repair of buildings of any functional purpose, which combines the advantages of each of the discussed planning methods. For this purpose, the consequences of technical and economic risk were analyzed of the buildings, including stations, depots, transport transfer hubs, administrative buildings, etc when choosing different planning methods. One of the significant results of the study is the possibility of justifying the optimal period of capital repairs on the basis of the proposed technical and economic criteria. The adjustment of the planned repair schedule is carried out taking into account the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the exploitation process.

Performance analysis of an integrated biomass gasification and PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) system: Hydrogen and power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chutichai, Bhawasut; Authayanun, Suthida; Assabumrungrat, Suttichai; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2013-01-01

The PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) is expected to play a significant role in next-generation energy systems. Because most hydrogen that is used as a fuel for PEMFCs is derived from the reforming of natural gas, the use of renewable energy sources such as biomass to produce this hydrogen offers a promising alternative. This study is focused on the performance analysis of an integrated biomass gasification and PEMFC system. The combined heat and power generation output of this integrated system is designed for residential applications, taking into account thermal and electrical demands. A flowsheet model of the integrated PEMFC system is developed and employed to analyze its performance with respect to various key operating parameters. A purification process consisting of a water–gas shift reactor and a preferential oxidation reactor is also necessary in order to reduce the concentration of CO in the synthesis gas to below 10 ppm for subsequent use in the PEMFC. The effect of load level on the performance of the PEMFC system is investigated. Based on an electrical load of 5 kW, it is found that the electrical efficiency of the PEMFC integrated system is 22%, and, when waste heat recovery is considered, the total efficiency of the PEMFC system is 51%. - Highlights: • Performance of a biomass gasification and PEMFC integrated system is analyzed. • A flowsheet model of the PEMFC integrated system is developed. • Effect of biomass sources and key parameters on hydrogen and power generation is presented. • The PEMFC integrated system is designed for small-scale power demand. • Effect of load changes on the performance of PEMFC is investigated

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.

Union Gas Limited 2000 annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

Financial information from Union Gas was presented along with a review of their operations throughout 2000. Union Gas is a major Canadian natural gas utility providing energy services to more than 1.1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities in Ontario. The company also provides natural gas storage and transportation services for other utilities and energy market participants in Ontario, Quebec and the United States. Revenue for 2000 was reported to be $1.6 billion, net income was $113 million and assets totaled $3.9 billion. Total throughput for 2000 was 35.8 billion cubic meters. Union Gas is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westcoast Energy Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2000, progress was made toward the introduction of performance-based regulation to replace the cost of service regulation currently in use. This initiative will enable the company to provide competitively priced services to customers, allowing them, along with shareholders to benefit from efficiency enhancements and new service offerings. tabs., figs

38 CFR 36.4357 - Combination residential and business property.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Reporting § 36.4357 Combination residential and business property. If otherwise eligible, a loan for the purchase or construction of a combination of residential property and business property which the veteran... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Combination residential...

The integration of gas and electricity: potential effects on competition in markets; La integracion vertical de los negocios de gas y electricidad: Posibles efectos sobre la competencia en los mercados afectados

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez Milla, J.

2007-07-01

During the last years, an increasing number of gas and electricity companies have integrated their activities in both sectors. Following this trend, several Mergers and Acquisitions between gas and electricity companies have emerged, and some of them have been cross-borders operations that have given rise to multinational enterprises. This paper analyses the causes of the integration of gas and electricity activities, and examines its implications on regulation and competition policy, showing that these changes in the energy industry raise new challenges and compel to adopt new measures in that field of the economic policy. (Author) 25 refs.

Micro turbines on gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotevski, Darko

2003-01-01

Microturbines are small gas turbine engines that drive a generator with sizes ranging from 30-350 kW. Although similar in function to bigger gas turbines, their simple radial flow turbine and high-speed generator offer better performance, greater reliability, longer service intervals, reduced maintenance lower emission and lower noise. Microturbines can generate power continuously and very economically to reduce electricity costs or they can be operated selectively for peak shaving. These benefits are further enhanced by the economics of using the microturbine's waste heat for hot water needs or other heating applications. That is why on-site microturbine power is widely used for independent production of electricity and heat in industrial and commercial facilities, hotels, hospitals, office buildings, residential buildings etc. (Original)

Vertical integration of oil groups in gas downstream activities after the deregulation of gas and electricity industries: Determining factors and means of implementation of this strategy. Research report period: October 2000 - September 2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benadjaoud, Nawel

2003-12-01

After a presentation of some characteristics of gas and electric power industries, and an overview of the process and consequences of the general trend of deregulation in these sectors, the author of this research proposes a contribution to the economic analysis of movements of vertical integration of large oil companies and groups in which downstream gas activities and power activities represent a small fraction of their activities. The objectives of this research were then to understand why oil companies are practising vertical integration on the gas sector, and how these oil companies proceed in terms of organisational means to perform this successful movement of vertical integration. The author addresses theoretical concepts as they are analysed in some theories of the firm. The studied questions are then addressed in the case of some major European oil companies through a detailed examination of all their operations related to the gas downstream activities and to electricity activities, and by examining the most used organisational modes for the implementation of such vertical integrations

Piloting a Therapeutic Residential for Children, Young People and Families Bereaved through Suicide in Northern Ireland

Science.gov (United States)

Braiden, Hannah Jane; McCann, Monica; Barry, Helen; Lindsay, Carrie

2009-01-01

Families bereaved by suicide can experience an extremely intense and complicated grieving process. This can be associated with a range of difficulties and can put bereaved family members at risk of a range of problems. In recognition of this, Barnardo's Child Bereavement Service piloted a two-day residential programme (integrating separate…

Using of gas for water heating at buildings - study on technical and economical viability; Utilizacao de gas para aquecimento de agua em instalacoes prediais - estudo de viabilidade tecnica e economica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fossa, Alberto Jose [MDJ Assessoria e Engenharia Consultiva, Santo Amaro, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: afossa@mdj.com.br; Chaguri, Jose Jorge [Caltherm Sistemas de Aquecimento, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: jchaguri@caltherm.com.br; Santos, Edmilson Moutinho dos [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia]. E-mail: edsantos@iee.usp.br

2006-07-01

The recent discovery of significant Brazilian's natural gas reserves has been opened a discussion concerning public procedures in order to incentive development of gas industry thru delivery of this energetic to the end consumer. Concerning this figure, a significant quantity of uses has been questioned related economical viability. This paper comes to analyze the possibility to change electrical energy for natural gas on heating water systems used on residential installations. Concerns about economical impact of alternative adopted on locals where public regulations are been established to incentive natural gas end uses. (author)