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Abstract This work, framed in the IEA SHC Task 51 “Solar Energy in Urban Planning”, presents an illustrative perspective of solar energy in urban planning through the analysis of 34 international case studies conducted in 10 countries. The aim here is to examine challenges, barriers and opportunities for active solar systems and passive solar strategies by taking into consideration interrelated technical and non-technical aspects in ongoing and completed projects. It focuses on exposing potential pitfalls and illustrating lessons learned in case studies divided into three categories: (i) existing urban areas, (ii) new urban areas, and (iii) solar landscapes. The analysis has yielded insights into the solar energy strategy adoption, the evaluation of solar energy production, solar irradiation and daylighting, and the architectural quality, sensitivity and visibility of the solar systems for urban planning. The outcomes have implications to stimulate successful practices in implementing solar strategies in urban planning and facilitating their replicability worldwide by avoiding common mistakes.

Abstract Electricity markets in Europe become increasingly interconnected due to new grid connections and market coupling regulations. This paper examines the interdependencies between the Swiss electricity market and those of neighbouring countries. The Swiss market serves as a good example for a smaller electricity market which is increasingly affected by developments in the large neighbouring countries. To study these cross-border effects, especially those on Swiss electricity prices, we apply two different methodologies, an econometric and a Nash-Cournot equilibrium model. The analyses show that the Swiss electricity price correlates strongly with the German electricity price in the summer, but tends to follow the French electricity price in the winter. Another finding is that gas prices and the electricity load of neighbouring countries have a significant influence on prices. In particular, the load of France and Italy is driving up Swiss prices in the winter, while the German electricity demand and renewable energy generation have a larger influence on Swiss prices in the summer.

Accelerators for heavy-ion inertial fusion energy (HIF) have an economic incentive to fit beam tubes tightly to beams, putting them at risk from electron clouds produced by emission of electrons and gas from walls. Theory and PIC simulations suggest that the electrons will be radially trapped in the /spl ges/1 kV ion-beam potential. We are beginning studies on the High-Current Experiment (HCX) with unique capabilities to characterize electron production and trapping, the effects on ion beams, and mitigation techniques. We are measuring the flux of electrons and gas evolved from a target, whose angle to the beam can be varied between 78/spl deg/ and 88/spl deg/ from normal incidence. Quadrupole magnets are operating with a variety of internal charged particle diagnostics to measure the beam halo loss, net charge, electron ionization rate, and gas density.

We study the role of technology subsidies in climate policies, using a simple dynamic equilibrium model with learning-by-doing. The optimal subsidy rate of a carbon-free technology is high when the technology is first adopted, but falls significantly over the next decades. However, the efficiency costs of uniform instead of optimal subsidies, may be low if there are introduction or expansion constraints for a new technology. Finally, supporting existing energy technologies only, may lead to technology lock-in, and the impacts of lock-in increase with the learning potential of new technologies as well as the possibilities for early entry and thight carbon constraints.

Abstract This study demonstrates the possibility to use energy-cost optimal building designs based on life cycle approach. There is a lack of studies that cover the comprehensive assessment of both embodied energy (EE) and operational energy (OE) in a single optimization problem. The primary goal of the current study is to compare the optimized results of using OE+EE together and OE only. The optimization is performed on a case study building (townhouse) in Finland with three structural alternatives (i.e., reinforced concrete (RC); cross-laminated timber (CLT) and Steel). Different options for insulation thickness of external wall, roof, floor and window types were considered as decision variables as the scope of the present study is on building envelope. The objectives of the optimization are to minimize life cycle energy (LCE) and life cycle costs (LCC). The LCE difference between the most and least energy efficient solution on the pareto front is greater in case of the OE optimization, compared to OE+EE optimization. For all studied structures, the EE of the optimal solutions from OE+EE optimization ranges 16%–23% of LCE. Many of the non-dominated optimal solutions obtained from the OE+EE optimization shows a higher U-value for the building envelope components compared to the optimal solutions from the OE optimization. A relationship between both OE and EE with the overall thermal resistance of the building envelope is discussed to obtain a deeper understanding of such differences in U-value for the optimal solutions obtained from the OE+EE and OE optimization.

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The TOBUS software has been developed to facilitate the implementation of the TOBUS building diagnosis and decision-making method for retrofit studies. This user-friendly software runs under the Windows® operating system and includes several modules, each of which addresses a particular aspect of the diagnosis including: building description, dimensions, cost coefficients, building diagnosis of current physical state and functional obsolescence, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), energy use, elaboration of retrofit scenarios, cost analysis, reporting results. The software also includes comprehensive databases on the physical state of degradation, including hundreds of illustrations, retrofit work details, cost, etc.