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A European project started at the end of 1992, in which, in addition to current methods, trained sensory panels were used to investigate office buildings all over Europe. The main aim of this EC-Audit was to develop assessment procedures and guid-ance on ventilation and source control, to help optimize energy use in buildings while assuring good indoor air quality. In each of nine countries, six or more office buildings were select-ed. Measurements were performed at five selected locations in each building. The buildings were studied while normally occu-pied and ventilated to identify the pollution sources in the spaces and to quantify the total pollution load caused by the occupants and their activities, as well as the ventilation systems. The investi-gation included physical and chemical measurements, assessment of the perceived air quality in the spaces by a trained sensory pan-el, and measurement of the outdoor air supply to the spaces. A questionnaire for evaluating retrospective and immediate symp-toms and perceptions was given to the occupants of the buildings. The building characteristics were described by use of a check-list. The annual energy consumption of the buildings and the weather conditions were registered. This paper presents results and conclusions of the audit in 56 buildings in Europe. However, the analysis and discussions of the results are a summary of the work done, and are focused mainly on comparison between sensory assessments and the other meas-urements performed. Furthermore, this paper brings the results of the study based on a two-factor analysis. A paper dealing with results on a multifacto-rial analysis is in preparation.

AbstractIn order to lower the costs for second generation bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass anaerobic digestion of the effluent from ethanol fermentation was implemented using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor system in a pilot‐scale biorefinery plant. Both thermophilic (53°C) and mesophilic (38°C) operation of the UASB reactor was investigated. At an OLR of 3.5 kg‐VS/(m3 day) a methane yield of 340 L/kg‐VS was achieved for thermophilic operation (53°C) while 270 L/kg‐VS was obtained under mesophilic conditions (38°C). For loading rates higher than 5 kg‐VS/(m3 day) the methane yields were, however, higher under mesophilic conditions compared to thermophilic conditions. The conversion of dissolved organic matter (VSdiss) was between 68% and 91%. The effluent from the ethanol fermentation showed no signs of toxicity to the anaerobic microorganisms. However, a high content of suspended matter reduced the degradation efficiency. The retention time of the anaerobic system could be reduced from 70 to 7 h by additional removal of suspended matter by clarification. Implementation of the biogas production from the fermentation effluent accounted for about 30% higher carbon utilization in the biorefinery compared to a system with only bioethanol production. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 59–64. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

As part the Wind2050 project funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research we have mapped controversies on wind energy as they unfold online. Specifically we have collected two purpose built datasets, a web corpus containing information from 758 wind energy websites in 6 different countries, and a smaller social media corpus containing information from 14 Danish wind energy pages on Facebook. These datasets have been analyzed to answer questions like: How do wind proponents and opponents organize online? Who are the central actors? And what are their matters of concern? The purpose of this report is to provide a description of the datasets, the methods we used to build them, and suggest possible scenarios of use.

More "green" power provided by Distributed Generation will enter into the European electricity network in the near future. hi order to control the powerflow and to ensure proper and secure operation of this future grid, with an increased level of the renewable power, new power electronic converters for grid connection of renewable sources are needed. These power converters must be able to provide intelligent power management as well as ancillary services. This paper presents an overview of an advanced power converter for universal and flexible power management that can enable the large scale-integration of dispersed generation into these future networks. The overall structure and the control requirements that are to be placed upon this converter are given. Furthermore, some possible applications as well as the bene,fits of using this converter are presented.

GaN-FET-based solar microinverter using a differential-mode inverter (DMI) topology is presented. Key features of the DMI topology and its switching scheme are outlined and how the GaN-FET technology affects the power-stage performance are narrated. Further, summary of the issues with grid connection are elaborated. Next, how the modular DMI can be scaled for three-phase inverter and energy-storage applications are illustrated. Finally, one manifestation of how the energy storage can be integrated using topology emulating the DMI is narrated.

Climaps.eu is an online atlas providing data, visualizations and commentaries about climate adaptation debate. It contains 33 issue-maps and 5 issue-stories. Each of the maps focuses on one issue in the adaptation debate and provides.The atlas is addressed to climate experts (negotiators, NGOs and companies concerned by global warming, journalists…) and to citizens willing to engage with theissues of climate adaptation.It employs advanced digital methods to deploy the complexity of the issues related to climate adaptation and information design to make this complexity legible.

High intermittency in the nature of wind power emphasize conceptual revising in the mechanisms of electricity markets with high wind power penetration levels. This paper introduces overmuch price reduction and high price volatility as two adverse consequences in future wind dominant electricity markets. While high price volatility imposes elevated risk levels for both electricity suppliers and consumers, excessive price reduction of electricity is a disincentive for investment in new generation capacity and might jeopardizes system adequacy in long term. A comparative study between marginal to discriminatory pricing mechanisms are conducted in this paper. This particular direction has been chosen because the discriminatory approach is traditionally known for lowering price volatility while gently increasing average price. To this end an adaptive agent based simulator under two pricing mechanisms is developed. The paper indicates discriminatory pricing approach can be beneficial in high penetration of wind power because it alleviates high price variations and spikiness in one hand and prevents overmuch price reduction in wind dominant electricity markets on the other hand.

AbstractClimate change poses a serious threat to the existence of many species. The combination of habitat fragmentation and increasing temperatures is of particular concern because it can alter demographic and population genetic processes, which may ultimately lead to extinction. Locomotion is very important in mitigating the negative impacts of these processes by upholding migration and contributing to random mating within and between populations. In the present study, aT‐maze, constituting a relatively complex laboratory assay, is used to investigate whether inbreeding affects the capacity to reach a food source in maleDrosophila melanogasterMeigen 1830 (Diptera:Drosophilidae) reared at 20, 25 or 30 °C, respectively. The effects of inbreeding and crossbreeding are highly temperature‐specific. Strong heterosis for the ability to reach food in the maze is observed in flies developed and maintained at 30 °C, whereas inbred flies locate the food significantly faster than crossbreds when reared at 25 °C in four of six runs. No clear pattern is evident in flies reared at 20 °C. The results suggest that complex traits such as locomotor performance in a maze are highly informative in the evaluation and detection of inbreeding depression under different thermal conditions. The effect of inbreeding is most pronounced at high temperature, which is a characteristic of the conditions that many natural populations may have to face under climate change.