Electricity use in the commercial kitchen

Academic and industrial literature concerning the energy use of commercial kitchens is scarce. Electricity consumption data were collected from distribution board current transformers in a sample of fourteen UK public house-restaurants. This was set up to identify patterns of appliance use as well as to assess the total energy consumption of these establishments. The electricity consumption in the selected commercial kitchens was significantly higher than current literature estimates. On average, 63% of the premises’ electricity consumption was attributed to the catering activity. Key appliances that contributed to the samples average daily electricity consumption of the kitchen were identified as refrigeration (70 kWh, 41%), fryers (11 kWh, 13%), combination ovens (35 kWh, 12%), bain maries (27 kWh, 9%) and grills (37 kWh, 12%). Behavioural factors and poor maintenance were identified as major contributors to excessive electricity usage with potential savings of 70% and 45% respectively. Initiatives are required to influence operator behaviour, such as the expansion of mandatory energy labelling, improved feedback information and the use of behaviour change campaigns. Strict maintenance protocols and more appropriate sizing of refrigeration would be of great benefit to energy reduction.

Simple prompts reduce inadvertent energy consumption from lighting in office buildings

Building designs regularly fail to achieve the anticipated levels of in-use energy consumption. The interaction of occupants with building controls is often cited as a key factor behind this discrepancy. This paper examines whether one factor in inadvertent energy consumption might be the appearance of post-completion errors (when an intended action is not taken because a primary goal has already been accomplished) in occupants’ interactions with building controls. Post-completion errors have been widely studied in human-computer interaction but the concept has not previously been applied to the interaction of occupants with building controls. Two experiments were carried out to examine the effect of incorporating two different types of simple prompt to reduce post-completion error in the use of light switches in office meeting rooms. Results showed that the prompts were effective and that occupants switched off lights when leaving the room more often when presented with a normative prompt than with a standard injunction. Additionally, an over reliance on PIR sensors to turn off lights after meetings was observed, which reduced their intended energy savings. We conclude that achieving low carbon buildings in practice is not solely a technological issue and that application of user-models from human-computer interaction will encourage appropriate occupant interaction with building controls and help reduce inadvertent energy consumption.

Long term individual load forecast under different electrical vehicles uptake scenarios

More and more households are purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), and this will continue as we move towards a low carbon future. There are various projections as to the rate of EV uptake, but all predict an increase over the next ten years. Charging these EVs will produce one of the biggest loads on the low voltage network. To manage the network, we must not only take into account the number of EVs taken up, but where on the network they are charging, and at what time. To simulate the impact on the network from high, medium and low EV uptake (as outlined by the UK government), we present an agent-based model. We initialise the model to assign an EV to a household based on either random distribution or social influences - that is, a neighbour of an EV owner is more likely to also purchase an EV. Additionally, we examine the effect of peak behaviour on the network when charging is at day-time, night-time, or a mix of both. The model is implemented on a neighbourhood in south-east England using smart meter data (half hourly electricity readings) and real life charging patterns from an EV trial. Our results indicate that social influence can increase the peak demand on a local level (street or feeder), meaning that medium EV uptake can create higher peak demand than currently expected.

Detecting defects in UK new-build housing: a learning perspective

House builders play a key role in controlling the quality of new homes in the UK. The UK house building sector is, however, currently facing pressures to expand supply as well as conform to tougher low carbon planning and Building Regulation requirements; primarily in the areas of sustainability. There is growing evidence that the pressure the UK house building industry is currently under may be eroding build quality and causing an increase in defects. It is found that the prevailing defect literature is limited to the causes, pathology and statistical analysis of defects (and failures). The literature does not extend to examine how house builders individually and collectively, in practice, collect and learn from defects experience in order to reduce the prevalence of defects in future homes. The theoretical lens for the research is organisational learning. This paper contributes to our understanding of organisational learning in construction through a synthesis of current literature. Further, a suitable organisational learning model is adopted. The paper concludes by reporting the research design of an ongoing collaborative action research project with the National House Building Council (NHBC), focused on developing a better understanding of house builders’ localised defects analysis procedures and learning processes.

Perspectives on the specification of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) technology in construction projects

Innovative, low carbon technologies are already available for use in the construction of buildings, but the impact of their specification on construction projects is unclear. This exploratory research identifies issues which arise following the specification of BIPV in non-residential construction projects. Rather than treating the inclusion of a new technology as a technical problem, the research explores the issue from a socio-technical perspective to understand the accommodations which the project team makes and their effect on the building and the technology. The paper is part of a larger research project which uses a Social Construction of Technology Approach (SCOT) to explore the accommodations made to working practices and design when Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic (BIPV) technology is introduced. The approach explores how the requirements of the technology from different groups of actors (Relevant Social Groups or RSG's) give rise to problems and create solutions. As such it rejects the notion of a rational linear view of innovation diffusion; instead it suggests that the variety and composition of the Relevant Social Groups set the agenda for problem solving and solutions as the project progresses. The research explores the experiences of three people who have extensive histories of involvement with BIPV in construction, looks at how SCOT can inform our understanding of the issues involved and identifies themes and issues in the specification of BIPV on construction projects. A key finding concerns the alignment of inflection points at which interviewees have found themselves changing from one RSG to another as new problems and solutions are identified. The points at which they change RSG often occurred at points which mirror conventional construction categories (in terms of project specification, tender, design and construction).

Developments in the quality of treated greywater supplies for buildings, and associated user perception and acceptance

A manufactured aeration and nanofiltration MBR greywater system was tested during continuous operation at the University of Reading, to demonstrate reliability in delivery of high quality treated greywater. Its treatment performance was evaluated against British Standard criteria [BSI (Greywater Systems—Part 1 Code of Practice: BS8525-1:2010. BS Press, 2010); (Greywater Systems—Part 2 Domestic Greywater Treatment, Requirements and Methods: BS 8525-2:2011. BS Press, 2011)]. The low carbon greywater recycling technology produced excellent analytical results as well as consistency in performance. User acceptance of such reliably treated greywater was then evaluated through user perception studies. The results inform the potential supply of treated greywater to student accommodation. Out of 135 questionnaire replies, 95% demonstrated a lack of aversion in one or more attributes, to using treated, recycled greywater.

Wireless energy behaviour monitoring (Wi-be) for office buildings

This paper presents a study on reduction of energy consumption in buildings through behaviour change informed by wireless monitoring systems for energy, environmental conditions and people positions. A key part to the Wi-Be system is the ability to accurately attribute energy usage behaviour to individuals, so they can be targeted with specific feedback tailored to their preferences. The use of wireless technologies for indoor positioning was investigated to ascertain the difficulties in deployment and potential benefits. The research to date has demonstrated the effectiveness of highly disaggregated personal-level data for developing insights into people’s energy behaviour and identifying significant energy saving opportunities (up to 77% in specific areas). Behavioural research addressed social issues such as privacy, which could affect the deployment of the system. Radio-frequency research into less intrusive technologies indicates that received-signal-strength-indicator-based systems should be able to detect the presence of a human body, though further work would be needed in both social and engineering areas.

Simultaneous activities in the household and residential electricity demand in Spain

Recent research and policy studies on the low-carbon future highlight the importance of flexible electricity demand. This might be problematic particularly for residential electricity demand, which is related to simultaneous consumers’ practices in the household. This paper analyses issues of simultaneity in residential electricity demand in Spain. It makes use of the 2011 Spanish Time Use Survey data with comparisons from the previous Spanish Time Use Survey and the Harmonised European Time Use Surveys. Findings show that media activities are associated the highest levels of continuity and simultaneity, particularly in the early and late parts of the evening during weekdays.

Co/Mg/Al hydrotalcite-type precursor, promoted with La and Ce, studied by XPS and applied to methane steam reforming reactions

Catalysts` precursor of Co/Mg/Al promoted with Ce and La were tested in the steam reforming of methane (SRM). The addition of promoters was made by anion-exchange. The oxides characterization was made by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis that confirmed Co(2+) species in free form on surface and interacted with Mg and Al in the form of solid solution. In the SRM with high fed molar ratio of H(2)O:CH(4) = 4:1, the catalysts showed a great affinity with water and immediately deactivated by oxidation of the active sites. In the stoichiometric ratio of H(2)O:CH(4) = 2: 1 the catalysts were active and presented low carbon deposition during the time reaction tested. Also a test with low fed molar ratio H(2)O:CH(4) = 0.5:1 was carried out to evaluate the stability of the catalysts by CH(4) decomposition and all the catalysts were stable during 6 h of reaction. Promoted catalysts presented lower carbon deposition. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Growth,distribution and school policy

This paper investigates the relationship between growth, income inequality, and educational policies. An endogenous growth model is built in which there are two types of labor, skilled and unskilled, and the quality of the labor force (measured by the fraction of skilled workers) will ultimately determine the economic growth rate. We show that multi pIe inequality and growth paths may arise. Countries will not necessarily converge to the same economic growth and income distribution. When the proportion of skilled workers is low, the economy grows slow, and the Gini coeflicient is high. Low expected growth rate inhibits investments in human capital and the quality of the labor force tomorrow turns out to be low again, keeping the economy in the bad equilibrium. We then analyze the effects on growth and inequality of two types of government intervention: introduction of public schools and vouchers. Both types can induce the economic agents to invest more in education. The consequence will be an increase in the quality of the labor force, leading to higher growth rates and less inequality. Finally, we examine the welfare consequences of these interventions and conclude that they may be Pareto improving.

Analysis of the ABC Program resources

This is the executive summary of the second of four reports that compose, among others, the activities of the second working year of the ABC Plan Observatory1 . It aims to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the ABC Program's performance – the main line of credit for the financing of low-carbon agriculture in Brazil. In addition to presenting high points of the results of the 2013/14 crop year, it also reveals a regional and state overview of the distribution of resources and a focus on the Legal Amazon situation regarding the adoption of low carbon agriculture methods in the region. The main theme for the analysis is the spatial distribution of the ABC Program's credit in the country and the reasons, bottlenecks and opportunities for the expansion of more sustainable production methods, especially regarding the conditions of Brazilian technical support and its activities among rural producers.

Signal transduction-related responses to phytohormones and environmental challenges in sugarcane

Background: Sugarcane is an increasingly economically and environmentally important C4 grass, used for the production of sugar and bioethanol, a low-carbon emission fuel. Sugarcane originated from crosses of Saccharum species and is noted for its unique capacity to accumulate high amounts of sucrose in its stems. Environmental stresses limit enormously sugarcane productivity worldwide. To investigate transcriptome changes in response to environmental inputs that alter yield we used cDNA microarrays to profile expression of 1,545 genes in plants submitted to drought, phosphate starvation, herbivory and N-2-fixing endophytic bacteria. We also investigated the response to phytohormones (abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate). The arrayed elements correspond mostly to genes involved in signal transduction, hormone biosynthesis, transcription factors, novel genes and genes corresponding to unknown proteins.Results: Adopting an outliers searching method 179 genes with strikingly different expression levels were identified as differentially expressed in at least one of the treatments analysed. Self Organizing Maps were used to cluster the expression profiles of 695 genes that showed a highly correlated expression pattern among replicates. The expression data for 22 genes was evaluated for 36 experimental data points by quantitative RT-PCR indicating a validation rate of 80.5% using three biological experimental replicates. The SUCAST Database was created that provides public access to the data described in this work, linked to tissue expression profiling and the SUCAST gene category and sequence analysis. The SUCAST database also includes a categorization of the sugarcane kinome based on a phylogenetic grouping that included 182 undefined kinases.Conclusion: An extensive study on the sugarcane transcriptome was performed. Sugarcane genes responsive to phytohormones and to challenges sugarcane commonly deals with in the field were identified. Additionally, the protein kinases were annotated based on a phylogenetic approach. The experimental design and statistical analysis applied proved robust to unravel genes associated with a diverse array of conditions attributing novel functions to previously unknown or undefined genes. The data consolidated in the SUCAST database resource can guide further studies and be useful for the development of improved sugarcane varieties.

Desgaste corrosivo-cavitativo-erosivo de um aço-carbono em meio aquoso com frações de sal (NaCl), CO2 e particulados sólidos (SiO2)

A batch of eighty-four coupons of low carbon steel were investigated at laboratory conditions under a corrosive, cavitative-corrosive (CO2) and corrosive-erosive (SiO2 + CO2) in an aqueous salt solution and two levels of temperature. The following measurements were made on Vickers (HV0,05, HV0,10, HV0,20) Microhardness tests at three levels of subsurface layer. A turbulent flow collided on the cylindrical sample, with and without mechanical stirring and gas bubbling, with and without fluid contamination by solid particles of SiO2, at two temperatures. Surface Roughness and Waviness, under two conditions "as received, after machining" and "after worn out", as well as gravimetric and electrochemical parameter were measured on the two opposite generatrices of each cylindrical sample, on the flow upstream (0°) and downstream (180°) by Profilometry, Mass Variation and Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR). The results of the Microhardness and Surface Texture of all coupons were subjected to statistical comparison, using the software Statgraphics® Centurion XVI, 95% statistical certainty, and significant differences were observed in some arrays of measurements. The corrosive wear rate measured by LPR and mass variation shown to be sensitive to the presence of bubbles and hydrodynamic fluctuations inside the cell, considering the temperature and contamination of corrosive fluid by solid particles. The main results of visual inspection relative to some topologies of the surface damages involving different mechanisms that were seen to give explanation for some fluctuations in wear rates of the steel experimentally investigated

Análise topológica experimental por perfilometria cíclica indutiva de superficies de paredes estruturais

To enhance the maintenance practices, Oil and Gas Pipelines are inspected from the inside by automated systems called PIG (Pipeline Inspection Gauge). The inspection and mapping of defects, as dents and holes, in the internal wall of these pipelines are increasingly put into service toward an overall Structural Integrity Policy. The residual life of these structures must be determined such that minimize its probability of failure. For this reason, the investigation on the detection limits of some basic topological features constituted by peaks or valleys disposed along a smooth surface is of great value for determining the sensitivity of the measurements of defects from some combinations of circumferential, axial and radial extent. In this investigation, it was analyzed an inductive profilometric sensor to scan three races, radius r1, r2, r3, in a circular surface of low carbon steel, equipped with eight consecutive defects simulated by bulges and holes by orbit, equally spaced at p/4 rad. A test rig and a methodology for testing in laboratory were developed to evaluate the sensor response and identify their dead zones and jumps due to fluctuations as a function of topological features and scanning velocity, four speeds different. The results are presented, analyzed and suggestions are made toward a new conception of sensor topologies, more sensible to detect these type of damage morphologies

Orientation dependence of stored energy of cold work in semi-processed electrical steels after temper rolling

Microhardness measurements were carried out in a low carbon lamination steel after 6% of temper rolling, in order to evaluate local variations of work hardening as a function of crystallographic orientation. EBSD (electron back scattered diffraction) was used to determine grain orientations with respect to individual rolling planes and rolling directions. Hardness was shown to increase with the local Taylor factor. TEM observations and a well-known dislocation hardening model were used to confirm the equivalence between hardness values and the stored energy of cold work. A definite correlation between stored energy and Taylor factors could therefore be established, being more consistent than previous data reported in the literature. The improvement was thought to be related to the rather small plastic deformation, during which Taylor factors could be considered to remain constant. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.