Economic and environmental benefits of community-scale cordwood hydronic heaters in Alaska—three case studies

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Nicholls ◽  
Allen M. Brackley ◽  
Daniel J. Parrent
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Benefits

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Energy Performance of Buildings: A Review of Their Life Cycle Impact

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia MIRABELLA ◽  
Martin RÖCK ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes SAADE ◽  
Carolin SPIRINCKX ◽  
Marc BOSMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Operational Energy

Globally, the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of energy use and it contributes approximately 30% of the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This high contribution stimulates research and policies to reduce the operational energy use and related GHG emissions of buildings. However, the environmental impacts of buildings can extend wide beyond the operational phase, and the portion of impacts related to the embodied energy of the building becomes relatively more important in low energy buildings. Therefore, the goal of the research is gaining insights into the environmental impacts of various building strategies for energy efficiency requirements compared to the life cycle environmental impacts of the whole building. The goal is to detect and investigate existing trade-offs in current approaches and solutions proposed by the research community. A literature review is driven by six fundamental and specific research questions (RQs), and performed based on two main tasks: (i) selection of literature studies, and (ii) critical analysis of the selected studies in line with the RQs. A final sample of 59 papers and 178 case studies has been collected, and key criteria are systematically analysed in a matrix. The study reveals that the high heterogeneity of the case studies makes it difficult to compare these in a straightforward way, but it allows to provide an overview of current methodological challenges and research gaps. Furthermore, the most complete studies provide valuable insights in the environmental benefits of the identified energy performance strategies over the building life cycle, but also shows the risk of burden shifting if only operational energy use is focused on, or when a limited number of environmental impact categories are assessed.

scholarly journals Prospects of applying 3-D printing to economics of remote communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Obydenkova ◽  
Nicholas C. Anzalone ◽  
Joshua M. Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Reindeer Herder

Purpose Isolated communities face a variety of inconveniences including severe remoteness, poor roads and extreme climate conditions, resulting in the lack of security of supply chains and exorbitant prices for cargo delivery. This paper aims to investigate the present advantages and prospects of applying 3-D printing to improve economics and everyday life of remote communities, reindeer herder case taken as an example. Design/methodology/approach This study covers the use of a low-cost open-source 3-D printer (RepRap) capable of fused filament fabrication to reduce operating costs for nomadic reindeer herder groups. Three case studies are provided for reindeer-specific applications to probe economic and technical viability of the technology, namely, ear-tags, electric fence components and lasso accessories. Findings 3-D printed objects feature technical characteristics similar to those of analogues available on the market while reducing the price by 63 per cent. Distributed 3-D printing reduces the cost of raw materials by 68 per cent and shipping costs by 50 because of lower trip frequency. If all reindeer herders globally were to adopt distributed manufacturing of the three aforementioned sample items only, their annual savings from such solution would amount to US$2m. The paper discovers other economic, entrepreneurial, technical and environmental opportunities offered by 3-D printing put to service the needs of remote communities. Research limitations As the paper is the first-ever study of 3-D printing potential applied to the reindeer husbandry case, it is based on a more thorough analysis of the techno-economic feasibility of the technology, while cultural and entrepreneurial factors have been discussed as preconditions only. Practical implications The paper might serve as a valuable source of information for entrepreneurs, as well as for students and academics for further case studies in this area. Originality/value In remote conditions, 3-D printing offers a more sustainable way of good manufacturing. Numerous open source designs already available for specialists, financial effectiveness, environmental benefits and vast opportunities for entrepreneurs are among the most promising advantages of the technology.

GPS in Agriculture – A Growing Market!

1999 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. V. Stafford
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Large Market ◽  
Technical Requirements

This paper, and the paper which follows it, were first presented at the IBC '98 Conference ‘Space-Based Navigation Industry’, which was held in London, 11–12 June 1998.In conventional arable agriculture, position within the field was usually irrelevant! However, the advent of precision agriculture, wherein inputs are targeted according to locally-determined requirements within the field, has opened up a potentially large market for GPS. Indeed, it was the availability of GPS which permitted the development and implementation of precision agriculture – a concept which holds the promise of significant economic and environmental benefits to the farmer. This paper indicates the technical requirements for GPS and presents three case studies where a positioning system is required.

scholarly journals Lightweight Design Solutions in the Automotive Field: Environmental Modelling Based on Fuel Reduction Value Applied to Diesel Turbocharged Vehicles

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Delogu ◽  
Francesco Del Pero ◽  
Marco Pierini
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Lightweight Design ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Mass Reduction ◽  
Environmental Modelling ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Wide Range

A tailored model for the assessment of environmental benefits achievable by “light-weighting” in the automotive field is presented. The model is based on the Fuel Reduction Value (FRV) coefficient, which expresses the Fuel Consumption (FC) saving involved by a 100 kg mass reduction. The work is composed of two main sections: simulation and environmental modelling. Simulation modelling performs an in-depth calculation of weight-induced FC whose outcome is the FRV evaluated for a wide range of Diesel Turbocharged (DT) vehicle case studies. Environmental modelling converts fuel saving to impact reduction basing on the FRVs obtained by simulations. Results show that for the considered case studies, FRV is within the range 0.115–0.143 and 0.142–0.388 L/100 km × 100 kg, respectively, for mass reduction only and powertrain adaptation (secondary effects). The implementation of FRVs within the environmental modelling represents the added value of the research and makes the model a valuable tool for application to real case studies of automotive lightweight LCA.

scholarly journals Understanding social economy through a complexity lens: Four case studies in Northwestern Ontario

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-59
Author(s):  
Connie Nelson ◽  
Mirella L. Stroink ◽  
Charles Z. Levkoe ◽  
Rachel Kakegamic ◽  
Esther McKay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Discussion Section ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
The Social

Broadly described, the social economy refers to a series of initiatives with common values representing explicit social objectives. The roots of social economy organizations predate the neoliberal economy and are integral to the human condition of coming together in mutual support to address challenges that benefit from collective efforts. Drawing on a complexity science approach, this paper analyzes four case studies situated in Northwestern Ontario—blueberry foraging, Cloverbelt Local Food Co-op, Willow Springs Creative Centre and Bearskin Lake First Nations—to demonstrate key features of social economy of food systems. Their unifying feature is a strong focus on local food as a means to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits for communities. Their distinct approaches demonstrate the importance of context in the emergence of the social economy of food initiatives. In the discussion section, we explore how these case study initiatives re-spatialize and re-socialize conventional food system approaches.

scholarly journals Selling Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Nalliah ◽  
Jaylan Smith
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Sustainable Products ◽  
Distribution Process ◽  
Positive Externality ◽  
The Masses

This study aims to evaluate the qualities required for sustainable clothing brands to succeed in an industry dominated by "fast fashion," an environmentally unfriendly manufacturing and distribution process. A number of cross-industry case studies were conducted, focusing on companies with sustainability built into their business models from several verticals. Our analysis found that the main reason for these businesses’ commercial success was not the fact that they were sustainable, but that they brought an innovative and marketable product that helped consumers. Their sustainability was not a selling point; instead, their products' benefits were, and we believe that sustainable businesses fail to do so. By marketing "coolness," the health benefits, luxury appeal, and clothing quality of Whole Foods Market, Tesla, and Patagonia allowed these brands to build extremely successful businesses, with sustainability benefits tacked on as a very positive externality. Generalizing, we claim that a sustainable fashion brand must be inexpensive, marketable, innovative, and profitable to find success in the fashion industry. We concluded that fashion companies should use advanced technology such as blockchain technology and biomimicry to create sustainable products that are appealing to the masses, mirroring the case studies above by providing outsized environmental benefits.

Optimum Size of ORC Cycles for Waste Heat Recovery in Natural Gas Compressor Stations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Branchini ◽  
M. A. Ancona ◽  
M. Bianchi ◽  
A. De Pascale ◽  
F. Melino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Optimum Size ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Design Power

Abstract The paper investigates the optimum size and potential economic, energetic and environmental benefits of ORC applications, as bottomer section in natural gas compressor stations. Since typical installations consist of multiple gas turbine units in mechanical drive arrangement, operated most of the time under part-load conditions, the economic feasibility of the ORC can become questionable even though the energetic advantage is indisputable. Depending on mechanical drivers profile during the year the optium size of the bottomer section must be carefully selected in order not to overestimate its design power output. To achieve this goal a numerical optimization procedure has been implemented in the Matlab environment, based on the integration of a in house-developed calculation code with a commercial software for the thermodynamic design and off-design analysis of complex energy systems (Thermoflex). Thus the optimal ORC design power size is identified in the most generic scenario, in terms of compressors load profile, installation site conditions (i.e. ambient conditions and carbon tax value) and gas turbine models used as drivers. Two different objective functions are defined aiming at maximize the CO2 savings or the net present value. Different case studies are shown and discussed to prove the potential of the developed code. The comparison among the case studies highlights, chiefly, the influence of yearly mechanical drivers profile, part-load control strategy applied and carbon tax value on the ORC techno-economic feasibility.

Analysis and taxonomy of remanufacturing industry practice

2003 ◽  
Vol 217 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
H J Parkinson ◽  
G Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Industrial Processes ◽  
Industrial Practice ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
The Subject

The remanufacturing industry is a large and economically important industry that includes many market sectors and provides significant societal and environmental benefits. Products are remanufactured through a series of industrial processes including disassembly, cleaning, inspection, reconditioning, reassembly and testing. Literature on the subject is diverse, and widely differing views, definitions and descriptions of ‘remanufacturing’ are given. The objective of this paper is to review the literature available and examine the terminology surrounding remanufacture, and establish definitions for the various processes such as recycling, refurbishing and reconditioning that are used synonymously. The definitions provide a sound research framework for examining the processes further. Secondly, via a review of industrial practice and a set of case studies, the key business drivers faced by the remanufacturing industry are presented.

Water–food–energy–environment synergies and tradeoffs: major issues and case studies

Water Policy ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (S1) ◽  
pp. 23-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. McCornick ◽  
Seleshi B. Awulachew ◽  
Michael Abebe
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Food Energy ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Energy Environment ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
Fuel Costs

The already complex interrelationships between water, food, energy and the environment are facing both challenges and opportunities. Rising fuel costs and increasing concerns over the effects of climate change are reinvigorating policymakers’ interest in renewable energy sources such as hydropower and bio-energy—both from biofuels as well as biomass. Development of any of these sources has the potential to generate positive economic and environmental benefits, yet, at the same time, they can cause negative food and equity impacts. This obviously entails major tradeoffs between the food, energy and environmental goals of water and energy development, allocation and management. Using both a brief global overview as well as a closer review of four case studies from India, Ethiopia, Jordon and the USA, this paper tries to (i) a present the nature of the tradeoffs under different hydrological, energy, agricultural and environmental contexts and (ii) provide some anecdotal evidence and illustrative cases for the available policy options for minimizing conflicts but maximizing synergies between water, energy, food and environment.

scholarly journals Modelling the Costs and Benefits of Modern Energy Cooking Services—Methods and Case Studies

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3371
Author(s):  
Matthew Leach ◽  
Chris Mullen ◽  
Jacquetta Lee ◽  
Bartosz Soltowski ◽  
Neal Wade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Combined Application ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Cooking Practices ◽  
First Time

Globally, 2.8 billion people still cook with biomass, resulting in health, environmental, and social challenges; electric cooking is a key option for a transition to modern energy cooking services. However, electric cooking is assumed to be too expensive, grids can be unreliable and the connection capacity of mini-grids and solar home systems is widely assumed to be insufficient. Developments in higher performance and lower cost batteries and solar photovoltaics can help, but they raise questions of affordability and environmental impacts. The range of issues is wide, and existing studies do not capture them coherently. A new suite of models is outlined that represents the technical, economic, human, and environmental benefits and impacts of delivering electric cooking services, with a life-cycle perspective. This paper represents the first time this diverse range of approaches has been brought together. The paper illustrates their use through combined application to case studies for transitions of households from traditional fuels to electric cooking: for urban grid-connected households in Zambia; for mini-grid connected households in Tanzania; and for off-grid households in Kenya. The results show that electric cooking can be cost-effective, and they demonstrate overall reductions in human and ecological impacts but point out potential impact ‘hotspots’. The network analysis shows that electric cooking can be accommodated to a significant extent on existing grids, due partly to diversity effects in the nature and timing of cooking practices.

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