Technology in the high entropy world

2006 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Tambo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Metabolic System ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
High Entropy ◽  
Maximum Effort ◽  
Water District ◽  
Sanitation Systems ◽  
Commercial Energy

Modern growing society is mainly driven by oils and may be designated “petroleum civilisation”. However, the basic energy used to drive the global ecosystem is solar radiation. The amount of fossil energy consumption is minimal in the whole global energy balance. Economic growth is mainly controlled by the fossil (commercial) energy consumption rate in urban areas. Water and sanitation systems are bridging economical activities and global ecosystems. Therefore, vast amounts of high entropy solar energy should always be taken into account in the water industry. Only in urban/industrial areas where most of the GDP is earned, are commercial energy driven systems inevitably introduced with maximum effort for energy saving. A water district concept to ensure appropriate quality use with the least deterioration of the environment is proposed. In other areas, decentralised water and sanitation systems driven on soft energy paths would be recommended. A process and system designed on a high entropy energy system would be the foundation for a future urban metabolic system revolution for when oil-based energy become scarce.

scholarly journals CO2 and Air Pollutants Emissions under Different Scenarios Predicted by a Regional Energy Consumption Modeling System for Shanghai, China

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1006
Author(s):  
Jing Wang ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Libo Wu ◽  
Weichun Ma ◽  
Limin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Energy Supply System ◽  
Regional Energy

About 75% energy demand and emissions all concentrate in urban areas, especially in the metropolises, placing a heavy burden on both the energy supply system and the environment system. To explore low emission pathways and provide policy recommendations for the Shanghai energy system and the environmental system to reach the carbon dioxide (CO2) peak by 2030 and attain emission reduction targets for local air pollutants (LAPs), a regional energy–environment optimization model was developed in this study, considering system costs, socio-economic development and technology. To verify the reliability of the model simulation and evaluate the model risk, a historical scenario was defined to calculate the emissions for 2004–2014, and the data were compared with the bottom-up emission inventory results. By considering four scenarios, we simulated the energy consumption and emissions in the period of 2020–2030 from the perspective of energy policies, economic measures and technology updates. We found that CO2 emissions might exceed the amount of 250 million tons by the end of 2020 under the current policy, and carbon tax with a price of 40 CNY per ton of carbon dioxide is an imperative measure to lower carbon emissions. Under the constraints, the emissions amount of SO2, NOx, PM10, and PM2.5 will be reduced by 95.3–180.8, 207.8–357.1, 149.4–274.5, and 59.5–119.8 Kt in 2030, respectively.

scholarly journals A New Framework to Evaluate Urban Design Using Urban Microclimatic Modelling in Future Climatic Conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dasaraden Mauree ◽  
Silvia Coccolo ◽  
Dasun Perera ◽  
Vahid Nik ◽  
Jean-Louis Scartezzini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

Building more energy efficient and sustainable urban areas that will both mitigate the effect of climate change and adapt for the future climate, requires the development new tools and methods that can help urban planners, architect and communities achieve this goal. In the current study, we designed a workflow that links different methodologies developed separately, to derive the energy consumption of a university school campus for the future. Three different scenarios for typical future years (2039, 2069, 2099) were run as well as a renovation scenario (Minergie-P). We analyse the impact of climate change on the heating and cooling demand of the buildings and determined the relevance of the accounting of the local climate in this particular context. The results from the simulations showed that in the future there will a constant decrease in the heating demand while for the cooling demand there will be a significant increase. It was further demonstrated that when the local climate was taken into account there was an even higher rise in the cooling demand but also that the proposed renovations were not sufficient to design resilient buildings. We then discuss the implication of this work on the simulation of building energy consumption at the neighbourhood scale and the impact of future local climate on energy system design. We finally give a few perspective regarding improved urban design and possible pathways for the future urban areas.

A framework for planning of sustainable water and sanitation systems in peri-urban areas

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Törnqvist ◽  
A. Norström ◽  
E. Kärrman ◽  
P.-A. Malmqvist
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Basic Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Systems ◽  
Institutional Boundaries

There are billions of people around the world that lack access to safe water supply and basic sanitation, a situation which puts the affected in severe health conditions as well as economical and social despair. Many of those lacking adequate water supply and sanitation systems can be found at the fringe of the cities in so called peri-urban areas, especially in the developing world. Planning in these areas is highly complex due to challenging environmental and physical conditions, high population density and unclear institutional boundaries. This article presents a framework aiming to support the planning process for sustainable water and sanitation systems in peri-urban areas. The suggested framework is based on different available planning approaches from a review of literature and websites of organisations and companies. It consists of a recommendation of important steps in the planning process as well as supporting tools. Further, it incorporates a set of sustainability criteria important for the peri-urban context and allows for the development of site specific systems. The framework has the aim to be flexible for different planning situations, and for suiting planners with different perspectives and amount of resources.

Ancient water and sanitation systems – applicability for the contemporary urban developing world

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 935-941 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bond ◽  
E. Roma ◽  
K. M. Foxon ◽  
M. R. Templeton ◽  
C. A. Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ancient Rome ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Rural Agriculture ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Improved Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Systems

The idea of implementing ancient water and wastewater technologies in the developing world is a persuasive one, since ancient systems had many features which would constitute sustainable and decentralised water and sanitation (WATSAN) provision in contemporary terminology. Latest figures indicate 2.6 billion people do not use improved sanitation and 1.1 billion practise open defecation, thus there is a huge need for sustainable and cost-effective WATSAN facilities, particularly in cities of the developing world. The objective of this study was to discuss and evaluate the applicability of selected ancient WATSAN systems for the contemporary developing world. Selected WATSAN systems in ancient Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Yucatan peninsula are briefly introduced and then discussed in the context of the developing world. One relevant aspect is that public latrines and baths were not only a part of daily life in ancient Rome but also a focal point for socialising. As such they would appear to represent a model of how to promote use and acceptance of modern community toilets and ablution blocks. Although public or community toilets are not classified as improved sanitation by WHO/UNICEF, this is a debatable premise since examples such as Durban, South Africa, illustrate how community toilets continue to represent a WATSAN solution for urban areas with high population density. Meanwhile, given the need for dry sanitation technologies, toilets based on the production of enriched Terra Preta soil have potential applications in urban and rural agriculture and warrant further investigation.

scholarly journals A New Framework to Evaluate Urban Design Using Urban Microclimatic Modelling in Future Climatic Conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dasaraden Mauree ◽  
Silvia Coccolo ◽  
Amarasinghage Tharindu Perera ◽  
Vahid Nik ◽  
Jean-Louis Scartezzini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

Building more energy efficient and sustainable urban areas that will both mitigate the effect of climate change and adapt for the future climate, requires the development new tools and methods that can help urban planners, architect and communities achieve this goal. In the current study, we designed a workflow that links different methodologies developed separately, to derive the energy consumption of a university school campus for the future. Three different scenarios for typical future years (2039, 2069, 2099) were run as well as a renovation scenario (Minergie-P). We analyse the impact of climate change on the heating and cooling demand of the buildings and determined the relevance of the accounting of the local climate in this particular context. The results from the simulations showed that in the future there will a constant decrease in the heating demand while for the cooling demand there will be a significant increase. It was further demonstrated that when the local climate was taken into account there was an even higher rise in the cooling demand but also that the proposed renovations were not sufficient to design resilient buildings. We then discuss the implication of this work on the simulation of building energy consumption at the neighbourhood scale and the impact of future local climate on energy system design. We finally give a few perspective regarding improved urban design and possible pathways for the future urban areas.

Ecosan Can Provide Sustainable Sanitation in Emergency Situations with Benefits for the Millennium Development Goals

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. v. Münch ◽  
G. Amy ◽  
J. F. Fesselet
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Value Analysis ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sanitation Systems

This paper describes the potential of ecological sanitation (ecosan) to provide sustainable excreta disposal in emergency situations and in peri-urban areas or slums in developing countries. At the present time, pit latrines are the most common form of excreta disposal both for emergency situations and in low-income peri-urban areas or slums. Although not intended to be a long-term solution, pit latrines provided during emergencies are often used for a long time (more than six months to years). This practice is not sustainable if the area is prone to flooding or there are soil conditions that allow groundwater pollution in areas where groundwater is used for drinking water, to name but two of the main factors. We propose eight criteria for the applicability of ecosan based on analysis of three case studies representing different types of emergency situations. The two most important criteria are awareness and expertise in ecosan within the aid agencies, and availability of standardised, lightweight toilet units that are quick to assemble and easy to transport (e.g. container for faeces, and urine diversion squatting pan made of impact-resistant molded polypropylene). Such toilets could be moved to, or replicated in, other areas in need after the emergency (peri-urban areas or slums). This would provide benefits for Millennium Development Goals achievements (targets on hunger, child mortality, sanitation and slum dwellers) at lower cost than conventional sanitation systems. Costs for sanitation systems should be compared based on the entire system (toilet, transport, treatment, reuse in agriculture), using Net Present Value analysis for capital, and operating and maintenance costs.

The Design of Water Intake System and Analysis of Water Quality Conditions of the Regional Energy System of Complex River Water Source Heat Pump

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-42
Author(s):  
Pengfei Si ◽  
Xiangyang Rong ◽  
Angui Li ◽  
Xiaodan Min ◽  
Zhengwu Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
River Water ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Water Intake ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Regional Energy ◽  
Heat Pump Unit

As a realization of the energy cascade utilization, the regional energy system has the significant potential of energy saving. As a kind of renewable energy, river water source heat pump also can greatly reduce the energy consumption of refrigeration and heating system. Combining the regional energy and water source heat pump technology, to achieve cooling, heating and power supply for a plurality of block building is of great significance to reduce building energy consumption. This paper introduces a practical engineering case which combines the regional energy system of complex river water source heat pump, which provides a detailed analysis of the hydrology and water quality conditions of the river water source heat pump applications, and discusses the design methods of water intake and drainage system. The results show that the average temperature of cold season is about 23.5 °C, the heating season is about 13.2 °C; the abundant regional water flow can meet the water requirement of water source heat pump unit; the sediment concentration index cannot meet the requirement of river water source heat pump if the water enters the unit directly; the river water chemistry indicators (pH, Cl-, SO42-, total hardness, total iron) can meet the requirement of river water source heat pump, and it is not required to take special measures to solve the problem. However, the problem of sediment concentration of water must be solved.

Water for Life

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline Baer
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
State Capacity ◽  
National Level ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
The Right

Chapter 5 provides a case study of the human rights-based approach to water policy through an analysis of the Bolivian government’s attempts to implement the human right to water and sanitation. It explores these efforts at the local and national level, through changes to investments, institutions, and policies. The analysis reveals that while Bolivia meets the minimum standard for the human right to water and sanitation in some urban areas, access to quality water is low in poor and marginalized communities. While the Bolivian government expresses a strong political will for a human rights approach and is increasing state capacity to fulfill rights, the broader criteria for the right to water and sanitation, including citizen participation and democratic decision-making, remain largely unfulfilled. This case suggests political will and state capacity might be necessary but are not sufficient to fulfill the human right to water and sanitation broadly defined.

Smart Cities and Smart Regulation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Rønne
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Smart Regulation

Increasing focus on sustainable societies and ‘smart cities’ due to emphasis on mitigation of climate change is simultaneous with ‘smart regulation’ reaching the forefront of the political agenda. Consequently, the energy sector and its regulation are undergoing significant innovation and change. Energy innovations include transition from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources and application of new computer technology, interactively matching production with consumer demand. Smart cities are growing and projects are being initiated for development of urban areas and energy systems. Analysis from ‘Smart Cities Accelerator’, developed under the EU Interreg funding programme that includes Climate-KIC,——provides background for the focus on a smart energy system. Analysis ensures the energy supply systems support the integration of renewables with the need for new technologies and investments. ‘Smart’ is trendy, but when becoming ‘smart’ leads to motivation that is an important step towards mitigating climate change.

scholarly journals Influencing Factors of Commercial Energy Consumption Intention of Rural Residents: Evidence from Rural Chengdu

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1010
Author(s):  
Aichun Jiang ◽  
Qian Zhong ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Yibin Ao ◽  
Chuan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Rural Construction ◽  
Commercial Energy ◽  
New Rural Construction

With rapid rural urbanization and new rural construction, the commercial energy consumption of rural residents shows a trend of rapid growth, and China’s rural areas are also faced with environmental challenges brought by the increase of commercial energy consumption. China’s commercial energy consumption behavior of rural residents has also undergone tremendous changes. However, scholars have neglected the research on rural residents’ commercial energy consumption intention from a micro perspective. Therefore, this study takes the 5 villages in Chengdu out of the 100 representative villages in the Sichuan province as examples. From the perspective of the head of a family of permanent rural residents, extended planned behavior theory, exploratory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling are used to explore the influencing factors of rural resident commercial energy consumption intention and their relationship. Findings show that subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and habit significantly affect residents’ behavioral intention. Habits significantly influence subjective norms and PBC. Therefore, in the new rural construction, rural residents are the main body and participants of energy consumption. Local government departments should plan reasonably according to the needs and characteristics of residents, constantly improve commercial energy infrastructure, improve service level, and further strengthen farmers’ attitude and satisfaction toward commercial energy. Moreover, they should increase the publicity and education of commercial energy, advocate green housing, and promote energy saving consumption reduction, and sustainable development in new rural areas.

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