Analysis of Consumption Data to Detect Commercial Losses Using Performance Evaluation Methods in a Smart Grid

Electric power networks, namely distribution networks, have been suffering several changes during the last years due to changes in the power systems operation, towards the implementation of smart grids. Several approaches to the operation of the resources have been introduced, as the case of demand response, making use of the new capabilities of the smart grids. In the initial levels of the smart grids implementation reduced amounts of data are generated, namely consumption data. The methodology proposed in the present paper makes use of demand response consumers’ performance evaluation methods to determine the expected consumption for a given consumer. Then, potential commercial losses are identified using monthly historic consumption data. Real consumption data is used in the case study to demonstrate the application of the proposed method.

A környezeti teljesítményértékelés módszerei (Environmental performance evaluation methods)

A környezeti teljesítmény mérésére számtalan módszer létezik. A cikk a környezeti teljesítményértékelési eszközök útvesztőjében kínál némi eligazítást azáltal, hogy hat, a gyakorlatban is többé-kevésbé használt módszert mutat be és értékel. A szerző kísérletet tesz a bemutatott módszerek összehasonlítására is aszerint, hogy kitérnek-e a környezeti és a vállalati teljesítmény kapcsolatának vizsgálatára, illetve a környezeti teljesítményt kellően átfogóan vizsgálják-e. Nagyító alá kerül az a kérdés is, hogy vajon a teljesítményértékelési módszerek alapján jól teljesítő vállalatok valóban tekinthetők-e fenntarthatónak. ________ There are numerous methods existing for evaluating corporate environmental performance. The article offers some guidance in this labyrinth by introducing and evaluating six, in practice also used methods. The author makes an attempt to compare the different methods, whether they cover the relationship between environmental and company performance, and whether they analyse different components of environmental performance comprehensively enough. The question is also covered, whether companies with excellent performance based on the methods analysed can really be regarded as sustainable companies.

Consumers Performance Evaluation of the Participation in Demand Response Programs Using Baseline Methods

Demand response has gain increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets environment. The use of demand resources is also advantageous in the context of smart grid operation. In addition to the need of new business models for integrating demand response, adequate methods are necessary for an accurate determination of the consumers’ performance evaluation after the participation in a demand response event. The present paper makes a comparison between some of the existing baseline methods related to the consumers’ performance evaluation, comparing the results obtained with these methods and also with a method proposed by the authors of the paper. A case study demonstrates the application of the referred methods to real consumption data belonging to a consumer connected to a distribution network.

A Survey on Graphical Methods for Classification Predictive Performance Evaluation

Predictive performance evaluation is a fundamental issue in design, development, and deployment of classification systems. As predictive performance evaluation is a multidimensional problem, single scalar summaries such as error rate, although quite convenient due to its simplicity, can seldom evaluate all the aspects that a complete and reliable evaluation must consider. Due to this, various graphical performance evaluation methods are increasingly drawing the attention of machine learning, data mining, and pattern recognition communities. The main advantage of these types of methods resides in their ability to depict the trade-offs between evaluation aspects in a multidimensional space rather than reducing these aspects to an arbitrarily chosen (and often biased) single scalar measure. Furthermore, to appropriately select a suitable graphical method for a given task, it is crucial to identify its strengths and weaknesses. This paper surveys various graphical methods often used for predictive performance evaluation. By presenting these methods in the same framework, we hope this paper may shed some light on deciding which methods are more suitable to use in different situations.

Mutual Fund Performance Evaluation

A narrow review on mutual fund performance evaluation methods.

Rehabilitation of Concrete Pavements Utilizing Rubblization and Crack and Seat Methods (Phase II): Performance Evaluation of Rubblized Pavements in Iowa, TR-550, 2008

This Phase II follow-up study of IHRB Project TR-473 focused on the performance evaluation of rubblized pavements in Iowa. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the structural condition of existing rubblized concrete pavements across Iowa through Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) tests, Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) tests, visual pavement distress surveys, etc. Through backcalculation of FWD deflection data using the Iowa State University's advanced layer moduli backcalculation program, the rubblized layer moduli were determined for various projects and compared with each other for correlating with the long-term pavement performance. The AASHTO structural layer coefficient for rubblized layer was also calculated using the rubblized layer moduli. To validate the mechanistic-empirical (M-E) hot mix asphalt (HMA) overlay thickness design procedure developed during the Phase I study, the actual HMA overlay thicknesses from the rubblization projects were compared with the predicted thicknesses obtained from the design software. The results of this study show that rubblization is a valid option to use in Iowa in the rehabilitation of portland cement concrete pavements provided the foundation is strong enough to support construction operations during the rubblization process. The M-E structural design methodology developed during Phase I can estimate the HMA overlay thickness reasonably well to achieve long-lasting performance of HMA pavements. The rehabilitation strategy is recommended for continued use in Iowa under those conditions conducive for rubblization.

Parameterized fast decoupled power flow methods for obtaining the maximum loading point of power systems. Part II. Performance evaluation

The parameterized fast decoupled power flow (PFDPF), versions XB and BX, using either theta or V as a parameter have been proposed by the authors in Part I of this paper. The use of reactive power injection of a selected PVbus (Q(PV)) as the continuation parameter for the computation of the maximum loading point (MLP) was also investigated. In this paper, the proposed versions obtained only with small modifications of the conventional one are used for the computation of the MLP of IEEE test systems (14, 30, 57 and 118 buses). These new versions are compared to each other with the purpose of pointing out their features, as well as the influence of reactive power and transformer tap limits. The results obtained with the new approaches are presented and discussed. The results show that the characteristics of the conventional FDPF method are enhanced and the region of convergence around the singular solution is enlarged. In addition, it is shown that these versions can be switched during the tracing process in order to efficiently determine all the PV curve points with few iterations. A trivial secant predictor, the modified zero-order polynomial, which uses the current solution and a fixed increment in the parameter (V, theta, or mu) as an estimate for the next solution, is used for the predictor step. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Avaliação do desempenho anaeróbio de atletas de rugby em cadeira de rodas = : Anaerobic performance evaluation of wheelchair rugby athletes

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Modelling solute transport in structured soils: Performance evaluation of the ADR and TRM models

The movement of chemicals through the soil to the groundwater or discharged to surface waters represents a degradation of these resources. In many cases, serious human and stock health implications are associated with this form of pollution. The chemicals of interest include nutrients, pesticides, salts, and industrial wastes. Recent studies have shown that current models and methods do not adequately describe the leaching of nutrients through soil, often underestimating the risk of groundwater contamination by surface-applied chemicals, and overestimating the concentration of resident solutes. This inaccuracy results primarily from ignoring soil structure and nonequilibrium between soil constituents, water, and solutes. A multiple sample percolation system (MSPS), consisting of 25 individual collection wells, was constructed to study the effects of localized soil heterogeneities on the transport of nutrients (NO3-, Cl-, PO43-) in the vadose zone of an agricultural soil predominantly dominated by clay. Very significant variations in drainage patterns across a small spatial scale were observed tone-way ANOVA, p < 0.001) indicating considerable heterogeneity in water flow patterns and nutrient leaching. Using data collected from the multiple sample percolation experiments, this paper compares the performance of two mathematical models for predicting solute transport, the advective-dispersion model with a reaction term (ADR), and a two-region preferential flow model (TRM) suitable for modelling nonequilibrium transport. These results have implications for modelling solute transport and predicting nutrient loading on a larger scale. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance evaluation of hospitals that provide care in the public health system, Brazil

OBJECTIVE To analyze if size, administrative level, legal status, type of unit and educational activity influence the hospital network performance in providing services to the Brazilian Unified Health System.METHODS This cross-sectional study evaluated data from the Hospital Information System and the Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde (National Registry of Health Facilities), 2012, in Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. We calculated performance indicators, such as: the ratio of hospital employees per bed; mean amount paid for admission; bed occupancy rate; average length of stay; bed turnover index and hospital mortality rate. Data were expressed as mean and standard deviation. The groups were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni correction.RESULTS The hospital occupancy rate in small hospitals was lower than in medium, big and special-sized hospitals. Higher hospital occupancy rate and bed turnover index were observed in hospitals that include education in their activities. The hospital mortality rate was lower in specialized hospitals compared to general ones, despite their higher proportion of highly complex admissions. We found no differences between hospitals in the direct and indirect administration for most of the indicators analyzed.CONCLUSIONS The study indicated the importance of the scale effect on efficiency, and larger hospitals had a higher performance. Hospitals that include education in their activities had a higher operating performance, albeit with associated importance of using human resources and highly complex structures. Specialized hospitals had a significantly lower rate of mortality than general hospitals, indicating the positive effect of the volume of procedures and technology used on clinical outcomes. The analysis related to the administrative level and legal status did not show any significant performance differences between the categories of public hospitals.

The Andean Biotic Index (ABI): revised tolerance to pollution values for macroinvertebrate families and index performance evaluation.

Score-based biotic indices are widely used to evaluate the water quality of streams and rivers. Few adaptations of these indices have been done for South America because there is a lack of knowledge on mac-roinvertebrate taxonomy, distribution and tolerance to pollution in the region. Several areas in the Andes are densely populated and there is need for methods to assess the impact of increasing human pressures on aquatic ecosystems. Considering the unique ecological and geographical features of the Andes, macroinvertebrate indices used in other regions must be adapted with caution. Here we present a review of the literature on mac-roinvertebrate distribution and tolerance to pollution in Andean areas above 2 000masl. Using these data, we propose an Andean Biotic Index (ABI), which is based on the BMWP index. In general, ABI includes fewer macroinvertebrate families than in other regions of the world where the BMWP index has been applied because altitude restricts the distribution of several families. Our review shows that in the high Andes, the tolerance of several macroinvertebrate families to pollution differs from those reported in other areas. We tested the ABI index in two basins in Ecuador and Peru, and compared it to other BMWP adaptations using the reference condi-tion approach. The ABI index is extremely useful for detecting the general impairment of rivers but class quality boundaries should be defined independently for each basin because reference conditions may be different. The ABI is widely used in Ecuador and Peru, with high correlations with land-use pressures in several studies. The ABI index is an integral part of the new multimetric index designed for high Andean streams (IMEERA). Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 2): 249-273. Epub 2014 April 01.

Performance Evaluation and Calibration of Machine Vision Measurement

This thesis presents the calibration and comparison of two systems, a machine vision system that uses 3 channel RGB images and a line scanning spectral system. Calibration. is the process of checking and adjusting the accuracy of a measuring instrument by comparing it with standards. For the RGB system self-calibrating methods for finding various parameters of the imaging device were developed. Color calibration was done and the colors produced by the system were compared to the known colors values of the target. Software drivers for the Sony Robot were also developed and a mechanical part to connect a camera to the robot was also designed. For the line scanning spectral system, methods for the calibrating the alignment of the system and the measurement of the dimensions of the line scanned by the system were developed. Color calibration of the spectral system is also presented.

Sustainable Waste-to-Energy Production: Performance Evaluation of Distributed Generation fuelled by Landfill Gas

The environmental impact of landfill is a growing concern in waste management practices. Thus, assessing the effectiveness of the solutions implemented to alter the issue is of importance. The objectives of the study were to provide an insight of landfill advantages, and to consolidate landfill gas importance among others alternative fuels. Finally, a case study examining the performances of energy production from a land disposal at Ylivieska was carried out to ascertain the viability of waste to energy project. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. The study was conducted in two parts; the first was the review of literatures focused on landfill gas developments. Specific considerations were the conception of mechanism governing the variability of gas production and the investigation of mathematical models often used in landfill gas modeling. Furthermore, the analysis of two main distributed generation technologies used to generate energy from landfill was carried out. The review of literature revealed a high influence of waste segregation and high level of moisture content for waste stabilization process. It was found that the enhancement in accuracy for forecasting gas rate generation can be done with both mathematical modeling and field test measurements. The result of the case study mainly indicated the close dependence of the power output with the landfill gas quality and the fuel inlet pressure.

Using developmental evaluation methods with communities of practice

Purpose This research explored the use of developmental evaluation methods with community of practice programmes experiencing change or transition to better understand how to target support resources. Design / methodology / approach The practical use of a number of developmental evaluation methods was explored in three organisations over a nine month period using an action research design. The research was a collaborative process involving all the company participants and the academic (the author) with the intention of developing the practices of the participants as well as contributing to scholarship. Findings The developmental evaluation activities achieved the objectives of the knowledge managers concerned: they developed a better understanding of the contribution and performance of their communities of practice, allowing support resources to be better targeted. Three methods (fundamental evaluative thinking, actual-ideal comparative method and focus on strengths and assets) were found to be useful. Cross-case analysis led to the proposition that developmental evaluation methods act as a structural mechanism that develops the discourse of the organisation in ways that enhance the climate for learning, potentially helping develop a learning organization. Practical implications Developmental evaluation methods add to the options available to evaluate community of practice programmes. These supplement the commonly used activity indicators and impact story methods. 2 Originality / value Developmental evaluation methods are often used in social change initiatives, informing public policy and funding decisions. The contribution here is to extend their use to organisational community of practice programmes.

Performance Evaluation of Different PV-Array Configurations under Weak Light Conditions and Partial Shadings

The paper analyses empirical performance data of five commercial PV-plants in Germany. The purpose was on one side to investigate the weak light performance of the different PV-modules used. On the other hand it was to quantify and compare the shading losses of different PV-array configurations. The importance of this study relies on the fact that even if the behavior under weak light conditions or the shading losses might seem to be a relatively small percentage of the total yearly output; in projects where a performance guarantee is given, these variation can make the difference between meeting or not the conditions.When analyzing the data, a high dispersion was found. To reduce the optical losses and spectral effects, a series of data filters were applied based on the angle of incidence and absolute Air Mass. To compensate for the temperature effects and translate the values to STC (25°C), five different methods were assessed. At the end, the Procedure 2 of IEC 60891 was selected due to its relative simplicity, usage of mostly standard parameters found in datasheets, good accuracy even with missing values, and its potential to improve the results when the complete set of inputs is available.After analyzing the data, the weak light performance of the modules did not show a clear superiority of a certain technology or technology group over the others. Moreover, the uncertainties in the measurements restrictive the conclusiveness of the results.In the partial shading analysis, the landscape mounting of mc-Si PV-modules in free-field showed a significantly better performance than the portrait one. The cross-table string using CIGS modules did not proved the benefits expected and performed actually poorer than a regular one-string-per-table layout. Parallel substrings with CdTe showed a proper functioning and relatively low losses. Among the two product generations of CdTe analyzed, none showed a significantly better performance under partial shadings.