Long Term Dynamics in CO2 Allowance Prices and Carbon Capture Investments

In this paper we analyse the behaviour of the EU market for CO2 emission allowances; specifically, we focus on the contracts maturing in the Kyoto Protocol's second period of application (2008 to 2012). We calibrate the underlying parameters for the allowance price in the long run and we also calibrate those from the Spanish wholesale electricity market. This information is then used to assess the option to install a carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit in a coal-fired power plant. We use a two-dimensional binomial lattice where costs and profits are valued and the optimal investment time is determined. In other words, we study the trigger allowance prices above which it is optimal to install the capture unit immediately. We further analyse the impact of several variables on the critical prices, among them allowance price volatility and a hypothetical government subsidy. We conclude that, at current permit prices, from a financial point of view, immediate installation does not seem justified. This need not be the case, though, if carbon market parameters change dramatically and/or a specific policy to promote these units is adopted.

Prices and the Real Exchange Rate in Hong Kong: 1985-2006

This paper has been presented at the XIII Encuentros de Economía Aplicada, Sevilla, Spain, 2010.

Are Bar Associations Anticompetitive? An Empirical Analysis of Recommended Prices for Legal Services in Spain

The European Commission Report on Competition in Professional Services found that recommended prices by professional bodies have a significant negative effect on competition since they may facilitate the coordination of prices between service providers and/or mislead consumers about reasonable price levels. Professional associations argue, first, that a fee schedule may help their members to properly calculate the cost of services avoiding excessive charges and reducing consumers’ searching costs and, second, that recommended prices are very useful for cost appraisal if a litigant is condemned to pay the legal expenses of the opposing party. Thus, recommended fee schedules could be justified to some extent if they represented the cost of providing the services. We test this hypothesis using cross‐section data on a subset of recommended prices by 52 Spanish bar associations and cost data on their territorial jurisdictions. Our empirical results indicate that prices recommended by bar associations are unrelated to the cost of legal services and therefore we conclude that recommended prices have merely an anticompetitive effect.

Advances in Click Chemistry for Single-Chain Nanoparticle Construction

Single-chain polymeric nanoparticles are artificial folded soft nano-objects of ultra-small size which have recently gained prominence in nanoscience and nanotechnology due to their exceptional and sometimes unique properties. This review focuses on the current state of the investigations of click chemistry techniques for highly-efficient single-chain nanoparticle construction. Additionally, recent progress achieved for the use of well-defined single-chain nanoparticles in some promising fields, such as nanomedicine and catalysis, is highlighted.

Design, Construction and Testing of a Hydraulic Power Take-Off for Wave Energy Converters

This paper presents the construction, mathematical modeling and testing of a scaled universal hydraulic Power Take-Off (PTO) device for Wave Energy Converters (WECs). A specific prototype and test bench were designed and built to carry out the tests. The results obtained from these tests were used to adjust an in-house mathematical model. The PTO was initially designed to be coupled to a scaled wave energy capture device with a low speed and high torque oscillating motion and high power fluctuations. Any Energy Capture Device (ECD) that fulfils these requirements can be coupled to this PTO, provided that its scale is adequately defined depending on the rated power of the full scale prototype. The initial calibration included estimation of the pressure drops in the different components, the pressurization time of the oil inside the hydraulic cylinders and the volumetric efficiency of the complete circuit. Since the overall efficiency measured during the tests ranged from 0.69 to 0.8 and the dynamic performance of the PTO was satisfactory, the results are really promising and it is believed that this solution might prove effective in real devices.

Evaluating the role of energy efficiency labels in the prices of household appliances: the case of refrigerators

4 p.

Contributions on distance-based algorithms, multi-classifier construction and pairwise classification

179 p.

The conventional facade solution during the developmental period in Gipuzkoa: decline (and end) of a construction system

The article analyses the construction process, the evolution and the disturbing future of the facade enclosure of the collective housing constructions built during the developmental period in the province of Gipuzkoa. 128 residential complexes were checked, and 17 people who directly took part in the construction of many of these buildings were interviewed. After examining the material and elements that make up the conventional facade solution used in Gipuzkoa and in much of Spain not only during those years but also up to the present time, the effects and causes of its main damages and flaws were studied. Its complex and costly adaptation to current demands is going to require a strong effort from society at large, and this raises the question of whether the life cycle of this construction system should be terminated once and for all.

Occupational exposure to nano-TiO2 in the life cycle steps of new depollutant mortars used in construction

The present work is focused on the measurement of workers exposure to nano-TiO2 in the life cycle steps of depollutant mortars. It has been done in the framework of the SCAFFOLD project, which aims at the management of potential risks arising from the use of manufactured nanomaterials in construction. Main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) The occupational exposure to nano-TiO2 is below 0.3 mg/m(3) for all measured scenarios. The highest concentrations were measured during the cleaning task (in the nano-TiO2 manufacturing process) and during the application (spraying) of depollutant coatings on a wall. (2) It was found a high release of particles above the background in several tasks as expected due to the nature of the activities performed. The maximum concentration was measured during drilling and during adding powder materials (mean total particle concentration up to 5.591E+04 particles/cm(3) and 5.69E+04 particles/cm(3)). However, considering data on total particle concentration released, no striking differences have been observed when tasks have been performed using conventional materials in the sector (control) and when using materials doped with nano-objects.

Teen-age identity construction in Stephen King: A gendered view

280 p.