A fuzzy clustering approach to a demand response model

This paper proposes a novel demand response model using a fuzzy subtractive cluster approach. The model development provides support to domestic consumer decisions on controllable loads management, considering consumers’ consumption needs and the appropriate load shape or rescheduling in order to achieve possible economic benefits. The model based on fuzzy subtractive clustering method considers clusters of domestic consumption covering an adequate consumption range. Analysis of different scenarios is presented considering available electric power and electric energy prices. Simulation results are presented and conclusions of the proposed demand response model are discussed.

A fuzzy clustering approach to a demand response model

This paper proposes a novel demand response model using a fuzzy subtractive cluster approach. The model development provides support to domestic consumer decisions on controllable loads management, considering consumers’ consumption needs and the appropriate load shape or rescheduling in order to achieve possible economic benefits. The model based on fuzzy subtractive clustering method considers clusters of domestic consumption covering an adequate consumption range. Analysis of different scenarios is presented considering available electric power and electric energy prices. Simulation results are presented and conclusions of the proposed demand response model are discussed.

Emergetic evaluation of cattle rearing in a montado farm

O Montado, em Portugal, é um complexo sistema silvopastoril de uso da terra, tipicamente Mediterrânico, com diversos estratos de vegetação, incluindo sobreiro e azinheira em várias densidades, onde é frequente a criação de gado. Esta actividade pecuária beneficia das pastagens no sob-coberto, de algumas espécies arbustivas e também das bolotas que caem do coberto arbóreo, contribuindo para evitar a invasão da pastagem por matos. No entanto, dependendo da sua gestão, este gado pode comprometer a regeneração do sistema. Nos últimos 20 anos, os subsídios no âmbito da Política Agrícola Comum da União Europeia têm promovido a criação de gado bovino em detrimento de outras espécies e raças mais leves, bem como a intensificação desta produção. Esta intensificação pode impossibilitar a regeneração natural das árvores ameaçando o equilíbrio do Montado. Por esta razão é necessária uma avaliação focada na criação de gado bovino e nos seus impactos sobre o sistema. O objectivo deste estudo foi obter uma melhor compreensão do funcionamento de uma exploração silvopastoril num sistema de Montado, através da aplicação do Método de Avaliação Emergética e do cálculo de índices emergéticos. Pretende-se assim compreender a melhor forma de o gerir, bem como conceber estratégias que maximizem o fluxo de emergia na exploração. Uma comparação deste método com a avaliação económica permitiu perceber em que aspectos esta pode ser complementada pelo método da avaliação emergética. O método da avaliação emergética permite a avaliação de sistemas multifuncionais complexos à escala de uma exploração individual, fornecendo informação extra em relação à avaliação económica como a renovabilidade dos inputs do sistema, ou a quantidade de fluxos livres da natureza que é valorada por preços de mercado. Este método permite a integração das emternalidades e das externalidades à contabilização económica, transformando uma avaliação tendencialmente separada do seu sistema mais vasto, numa avaliação de um sistema em conexão com aqueles mais vastos nos quais se integra; Abstract: The Montado, in Portugal, is a complex silvo-pastoral system of land use, typically Mediterranean, with different strata of vegetation, including cork and holm oaks in various densities, and where cattle rearing is common. This stockfarm benefits from the herbaceous layer under the trees, as well as from some species in the shrub layer, and also from the acorns faling down from the tree cover, while contributing to prevent the invasion of pastures by shrubs. Nevertheless, depending on its management, livestock can affect the system regeneration. Over the past 20 years, subsidies of the European Union's common agricultural policy have promoted the cattle rearing at expense of other lighter species and breeds, as well as its intensification. This intensification may impair the natural regeneration of trees threatening the balance of the Montado. Therefore an assessment focused on cattle and their impact on the system is required. The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the functioning of a silvo-pastoral farm in a Montado system, by applying the emergy evaluation method and through the calculation of emergy indices. It is intended to understand the best way to manage and design strategies that maximize the emergy flow on the farm. A comparison of this method with the economic evaluation allowed to realize in what aspects it can be complemented by the emergy evaluation method. The emergy evaluation method alows the assessment of complex multi-functional systems at the scale of an individual farm, providing extra information in relation to economic avaluation as the renewability of the inputs to a system and the amount of free flows of nature that is valued by market prices. This method allows the integration of the emternalities and the externalities to the economic accounting, transforming an evaluation tended separated from its wider system, in an evaluation of a system in connection with the larger ones on which it is incorporated.

Implementação de um sistema de gestão da qualidade nas organizações escolares

A Qualidade é um dos fatores dinâmicos de competitividade e é, incontestavelmente, um dos pilares fundamentais para a construção do sucesso das organizações. O conceito de Qualidade não é de fácil definição, dado que é algo complexo e de difícil consenso. E muitas são as noções de Qualidade existentes na literatura, mas todas elas convergem num sentido único da busca da melhoria contínua e da excelência. Por outro lado, a implementação da Contabilidade de Gestão (designadamente o Custeio Baseado em Atividades - ABC) numa organização, sobretudo numa instituição de ensino, fornece recursos suficientes para a identificação dos melhores indutores de custo. Assim, toma-se inevitável observar as atividades, inquirir os colaboradores internos e externos, desenvolver e aplicar métodos quantitativos que monitorizem os processos e os procedimentos e, especialmente, que exista o empenho da gestão de topo, de modo a que a estratégia e a qualidade organizacional se inter-relacionem. Este trabalho apresenta diversos aspetos referentes à temática dos custos da qualidade (ou da não qualidade), a própria técnica contemporânea ABC e os principais resultados obtidos através da aplicação de listas de verificação e de um inquérito por questionário, junto dos alunos, colaboradores docentes e não docentes, com o objetivo de analisar a situação dos custos da qualidade baseados na contabilidade e avaliar o grau de satisfação/motivação com a qualidade do serviço prestado na sede do Agrupamento de Escolas do concelho de Estremoz. Os resultados do presente estudo evidenciaram alguns benefícios e dificuldades da aplicabilidade da Gestão da Qualidade numa instituição de ensino. A cultura organizacional deste tipo de instituições será um dos aspetos a ter em consideração, de modo a que os princípios da Gestão da Qualidade sejam implementados de forma harmoniosa e que poderá encaminhar essas organizações num verdadeiro percurso de qualidade, numa filosofia de melhoria contínua até à excelência. ABSTRACT: As a crucial factor for competitiveness, quality is undoubtedly one of the foundations on which a successful organization rests. The complexity surrounding the notion of quality makes it hard to reach a consensus about its meaning, and that is why it has so many different definitions. However, all of them have one thing in common - that it involves a continuous search for improvement and excellence. Nowadays, an organization that uses accounting methods to support management (namely the Activity-based Costing method) has the necessary means to identify where the main costs are originating from, particularly if the organization is somehow related to teaching. It is therefore inevitable to study activities, inquire everyone involved in the organization's activities, as well as develop and apply quantitative methods to monitor processes and procedures. Moreover, it is especially important that top management is fully committed to quality in order to reflect it on its strategy. This work focuses on several aspects pertaining costs associated with quality- and lack of quality­ and shows the Activity-based Costing method in particular, as well as the main results gathered from the verification lists and questionnaires made to students, teachers and staff, with the purpose of analyzing - based on accounting - the amount of costs derived from quality, and evaluating the degree of satisfaction and/or motivation as regards the quality of service provided at a group of schools in Portuguese region of Estremoz. The results of this study show that there are some benefits in applying quality management to teaching institutions, but there are also some difficulties. The organizational culture of these institutions is one aspect that should be taken into consideration, so that quality management principles can be implemented harmoniously. This may direct these organizations to the true path of quality, so they can continuously seek improvement and achieve excellence.

Emergy analysis of a silvo-pastoral system, a case study in southern Portugal

The Mediterranean silvo-pastoral system known as Montado, in Portugal, is a complex land use system composed of an open tree stratum in various densities and an herbaceous layer, used for livestock grazing. Livestock also profit from the acorns, and the grazing contributes to avoid shrub encroachment. In the last 20 years, subsidies from the European Union have greatly promoted cattle rearing in this system and the introduction of heavy breeds, at the expense of sheep, goats or the native cattle breeds. The balance of the traditional system is thus threatened, and a precise assessment of the balance between the different components of the system, therefore is highly needed. The goal of this study was to gain a better under- standing of a Montado farm system with cattle rearing as the major economic activity by applying the emergy evaluation method to calculate indices of yield, investment, environmental loading and sustainability. By integrating different ecosystem components, the emergy evaluation method allows a comprehensive evaluation of this complex and multifunctional system at the scale of an individual farm. This method provides a set of indices that can help us understand the system and design management strategies that maximize emergy flow in the farm. In this paper, we apply the emergy evaluation method to a Montado farm with cattle rearing, as a way to gain a better understanding of this system at the farm scale. The value for the transformity of veal (2.66E?06 sej J-1) is slightly higher, when compared to other systems producing protein. That means that the investment of nature and man in this product was higher and it requires a premium price on the market. The renewa- bility for Holm Oaks Farm (49 %), lower than for other similar systems, supports the assumption that this is a farm in which, comparing with others, the number of purchased inputs in relation to renewable inputs provided by nature, is higher. The Emergy Investment Ratio is 0.91 for cattle rearing compared to a value of 0.49 for cork and 0.43 for firewood harvesting, making it clear that cattle rearing is a more labor demanding activity comparing with extractive activities as cork and firewood harvesting.

Artes visuais: uma análise da prática avaliativa dos professores nas escolas estaduais de Macapá-AP

Este trabalho analisa a prática avaliativa dos Professores de Artes Visuais nas Escolas de Macapá no Estado do Amapá. É uma resposta aos questionamentos. Trata-se de um estudo avaliativo, concebido com o objetivo de levar para professores, uma proposta inovadora, em termos de avaliação. O estudo está voltado para uma pedagogia de enfoque sociocultural, está sintonizado com o atual momento da educação brasileira, em que os educadores buscam formar alunos para a cidadania com uma visão critica do mundo que o cerca, visto que muitas discussões em torno do assunto Avaliação em Artes Visuais deram origem a esse documento significativo no âmbito educacional amapaense. ABSTRACT: This paper analyzes the evaluation method of visual arts teachers in schools of Macapá in the State of Amapá. It is a response to questions. This is an evaluative study, designed with the goal of bringing to teachers, an innovative proposal in terms of evaluation. The study is directed toward pedagogy of cultural focus, is in tune with the present situation of Brazilian education, as educators seek to train students for citizenship with a critical view of the world around him, as many discussions on the subject evaluation Visual Arts led to this significant document in the educational Amapá.