scholarly journals Framework for Risk Identification of Renewable Energy Projects Using Fuzzy Case-Based Reasoning

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahand Somi ◽  
Nima Gerami Seresht ◽  
Aminah Robinson Fayek
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Case Based Reasoning ◽  
Onshore Wind ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Case Based

Construction projects are highly risk-prone due to both internal factors (e.g., organizational, contractual, project, etc.) and external factors (e.g., environmental, economic, political, etc.). Construction risks can thus have a direct or indirect impact on project objectives, such as cost, time, safety, and quality. Identification of these risks is crucial in order to fulfill project objectives. Many tools and techniques have been proposed for risk identification, including literature review, questionnaire surveys, and expert interviews. However, the majority of these approaches are highly reliant on expert knowledge or prior knowledge of the project. Therefore, the application of such tools and techniques in risk identification for renewable energy projects (e.g., wind farm and solar power plant projects) is challenging due to their novelty and the limited availability of historical data or literature. This paper addresses these challenges by introducing a new risk identification framework for renewable energy projects, which combines case-based reasoning (CBR) with fuzzy logic. CBR helps to solve problems related to novel projects (e.g., renewable energy projects) based on their similarities to existing, well-studied projects (e.g., conventional energy projects). CBR addresses the issue of data scarcity by comparing novel types of construction projects to other well-studied project types and using the similarities between these two sets of projects to solve the different problems associated with novel types of construction projects, such as risk identification of renewable energy projects. Moreover, the integration of fuzzy logic with CBR, to develop fuzzy case-based reasoning (FCBR), increases the applicability of CBR in construction by capturing the subjective uncertainty that exists in construction-related problems. The applicability of the proposed framework was tested on a case study of an onshore wind farm project. The objectives of this paper are to introduce a novel framework for risk identification of renewable energy projects and to identify the risks associated with the construction of onshore wind farm projects at the work package level. The results of this paper will help to improve the risk management of renewable energy projects during the construction phase.

scholarly journals Establishing Core Factors of Risk Management Influencing Performance Outcome of Small and Medium Firm's Construction Projects in Gauteng

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-127
Author(s):  
Berenger Yembi Renault ◽  
Justus Ngala Agumba ◽  
Nazeem Ansary
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
South African ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Performance Outcome ◽  
Management Factors ◽  
Project Objectives

The quest for delivering successful construction projects has urged South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to adopt risk management in their projects. However, it has been evinced that SMEs projects in South Africa especially in the Gauteng province have encountered poor performances. Thus, this article determines core risk management factors influencing project outcome of SMEs. A deductive approach was embraced using a questionnaire. The data were collected from 181 conveniently sampled respondents in Gauteng, graded from Grade 1 to 6 of the CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) grading system. The Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 23 was used to analyse the data by computing exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. It was revealed that SMEs performance outcome is influenced by eight risk management factors. The influential factors are organisational environment, defining project objectives, resource requirements, risk measurement, risk identification, risk assessment, risk response and action planning and monitoring, review and continuous improvement. The risk management factors established in this article are reliable and valid in projects undertaken by SMEs in the South African construction industry and the findings can serve as a guideline for contractors to achieve success in this context. The study may be repeated in other countries globally, however, it cannot be generalised due to the restrictions pertaining to the geographical area.

Diverse interpretations enabling the continuity of community renewable energy projects: A case study of a woody biomass project in rural area of Japan

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 822-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuki Horiuchi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Collective Decision Making ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Tackle Climate Change ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Significant Attention

Community renewable energy projects have captured significant attention due to their potential to tackle climate change by socially and economically empowering local societies. Recently, however, various difficulties in the continuity of such projects over extended periods of time have been reported. As a case study, this article explores a woody biomass project, planned and put into practice by local people, which has lasted for over 10 years. The article first examines the process of collective decision-making among members who have diverse motivations. It then focuses on how the project objectives have been interpreted by individual members, paying particular attention to each member’s practice. The article shows that decisions related to the project were based on the diverse and constant social interactions between members, which focused on their collaboration rather than overall quantitative goals. I argue, both theoretically and empirically, that this vagueness of the overall goals has enabled the project’s continuity. Based on their own practices, it has allowed each project member to interpret the project and to gain a sense of its success. Diversity of practices within a project leads to plural sets of values, which bring sustainability to a project running in an uncertain context.

Wind Energy

2020 ◽  
pp. 185-227
Author(s):  
Paul F. Meier
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
High Wind ◽  
Onshore Wind ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Transmission Equipment ◽  
Impact Area ◽  
The Cost

A wind farm is a collection of wind turbines, sufficiently spaced to avoid wind interference between turbines. Onshore and offshore are the two basic types of wind farms. The cost of building an offshore farm is greater because of the need for turbines that withstand high wind and corrosive conditions of the sea, plus the expense of installing underwater transmission cables to shore. For an onshore wind farm, the land area for the farm is large, but the direct impact area is relatively small. The direct impact area includes the turbine pads, roads, substations, and transmission equipment, and only makes up about 2% of the total wind farm area. Since the direct impact area is small compared to the total wind farm area, agriculture and ranching can coexist with the wind farm. Wind is a very fast growing renewable energy technology. In the ten years since 2009, the worldwide capacity for wind power increased 276% while US capacity increased 175%.

scholarly journals Community Benefits or Community Bribes? An Experimental Analysis of Strategies for Managing Community Perceptions of Bribery Surrounding the Siting of Renewable Energy Projects

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J.A. Walker ◽  
Duncan Russel ◽  
Tim Kurz
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Postal Survey ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Local Support

The provision of financial incentives to local communities by energy developers has attracted cynicism across many localities, with some suggesting such community benefits are akin to “bribery.” The current study used an experimental design embedded within a community postal survey to explore whether potentially damaging effects of bribery rhetoric upon local support for a wind farm can be overcome through (a) portraying community benefits as a policy requirement (rather than a discretionary gesture by developers), and/or (b) the deployment of different discursive strategies by developers to manage their stake in the outcome of the project. Participants told about community benefits as being a policy requirement showed significantly higher support for the wind farm, an effect that was mediated by heightened perceptions of individually and collectively favorable outcomes from the development. We discuss our results in relation to their implications for government policy approaches to promoting renewable energy supply.

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