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Online access for this thesis was created in part with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). To obtain a high quality image or document please contact the DeLaMare Library at https://unr.libanswers.com/ or call: 775-784-6945. ; A model was developed to predict snowpack interior temperatures for sites of varying elevation, forest cover, slope and aspect in the Carson Range. Weekly predicted temperatures were compared with those observed at four representative sites.

Online access for this thesis was created in part with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). To obtain a high quality image or document please contact the DeLaMare Library at https://unr.libanswers.com/ or call: 775-784-6945. ; A model was developed to predict snowpack interior temperatures for sites of varying elevation, forest cover, slope and aspect in the Carson Range. Weekly predicted temperatures were compared with those observed at four representative sites.

This study analyzes the impact of price shocks in three input and output markets critical to ethanol: gasoline, corn, and sugar. We investigate the impact of these shocks on ethanol and related agricultural markets in the United States and Brazil. We find that the composition of a country’s vehicle fleet determines the direction of the response of ethanol consumption to changes in the gasoline price. We also find that a change in feedstock costs affects the profitability of ethanol producers and the domestic ethanol price. In Brazil, where two commodities compete for sugarcane, changes in the sugar market affect the competing ethanol market.

This study analyzes the impact of price shocks in three input and output markets critical to ethanol: gasoline, corn, and sugar. We investigate the impact of these shocks on ethanol and related agricultural markets in the United States and Brazil. We find that the composition of a country’s vehicle fleet determines the direction of the response of ethanol consumption to changes in the gasoline price. We also find that a change in feedstock costs affects the profitability of ethanol producers and the domestic ethanol price. In Brazil, where two commodities compete for sugarcane, changes in the sugar market affect the competing ethanol market.

Ever-growing energy demand since the Industrial Revolution is likely to continue over the upcoming decades, and making the transition to renewable energy sources takes longer than anticipated. Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources, and the cost of installing photovoltaic solar systems has decreased significantly as the global photovoltaic solar system industry has grown since the beginning of this century. In the United States, the adoption of residential photovoltaic solar systems has the potential to add up to a significant change, considering the ubiquity of solar irradiation and the prevalence of low-density residential development. This study investigated the diffusion of photovoltaic solar systems in residential buildings to support sustainable development goals. I built a series of regression models to analyze the impact of socio-economic, geographical, and technical factors on the photovoltaic solar panel adoption rate in residential buildings. I aggregated more than 1 million photovoltaic solar panel installation records at the ZIP code level, which allowed me to calculate the adoption rate and control the abovementioned factors. Moreover, I conducted in-depth interviews with key actors from the solar industry in New Jersey to understand how the solar industry adapts to the changes in solar policies and attitudes of residential users. The results indicate that electricity prices and solar irradiation are the most significant factors for residential users to install photovoltaic solar systems. Moreover, renewable energy policies increase the relative advantage of these systems and directly impact the adoption rates. Investigating California and New Jersey examples revealed that financial programs such as tax credits and renewable energy certificate trading mechanisms create the highest incentive for homeowners. Besides, standardization of the application process, permit fees, and inspections help to reduce the soft costs associated with installations. The case study on New ...

Ever-growing energy demand since the Industrial Revolution is likely to continue over the upcoming decades, and making the transition to renewable energy sources takes longer than anticipated. Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources, and the cost of installing photovoltaic solar systems has decreased significantly as the global photovoltaic solar system industry has grown since the beginning of this century. In the United States, the adoption of residential photovoltaic solar systems has the potential to add up to a significant change, considering the ubiquity of solar irradiation and the prevalence of low-density residential development. This study investigated the diffusion of photovoltaic solar systems in residential buildings to support sustainable development goals. I built a series of regression models to analyze the impact of socio-economic, geographical, and technical factors on the photovoltaic solar panel adoption rate in residential buildings. I aggregated more than 1 million photovoltaic solar panel installation records at the ZIP code level, which allowed me to calculate the adoption rate and control the abovementioned factors. Moreover, I conducted in-depth interviews with key actors from the solar industry in New Jersey to understand how the solar industry adapts to the changes in solar policies and attitudes of residential users. The results indicate that electricity prices and solar irradiation are the most significant factors for residential users to install photovoltaic solar systems. Moreover, renewable energy policies increase the relative advantage of these systems and directly impact the adoption rates. Investigating California and New Jersey examples revealed that financial programs such as tax credits and renewable energy certificate trading mechanisms create the highest incentive for homeowners. Besides, standardization of the application process, permit fees, and inspections help to reduce the soft costs associated with installations. The case study on New ...

This deliverable includes the methodology in EnergyPROSPECTS for an in-depth study of energy citizenship. It features the criteria used for selecting the cases for indepth study, the list of cases selected for in-depth study as well as key research foci and empirical research questions.

This deliverable includes the methodology in EnergyPROSPECTS for an in-depth study of energy citizenship. It features the criteria used for selecting the cases for indepth study, the list of cases selected for in-depth study as well as key research foci and empirical research questions.

Providing access to on-demand energy at the global scale is a grand challenge of our time. The fabrication of solar cells from nanocrystal inks comprising earth abundant elements represents a scalable and sustainable photovoltaic technology with the potential to meet the global demand for electricity. Solar cells with Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) absorber layers are of particular interest due to the high absorption coefficient of CZTSSe, its band gap in the ideal range for efficient photovoltaic power conversion, and the relative abundance of its constituent elements in the earth’s crust. Despite the promise of this material system, CZTSSe solar cell efficiencies reported throughout literature have failed to exceed 12.6%, principally due to the low open-circuit voltage (VOC) achieved in these devices compared to the absorber band gap. The work presented herein primarily aims to address the low VOC problem. First, the fundamental cause for such low VOC’s is investigated. Interparticle compositional inhomogeneities identified in the synthesized CZTS nanocrystals and their effect on the absorber layer formation and device performance are characterized. Real-time energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction (EDXRD) elucidates the role of these inhomogeneities in the mechanism by which a film of CZTS nanocrystals converts into a dense absorber layer comprising micron-sized CZTSSe grains upon annealing in a selenium atmosphere (selenization). Additionally, a direct correlation between the nanocrystal inhomogeneities and the VOC in completed devices is observed. Detailed characterization of CZTSSe solar cells identifies electrical potential fluctuations in the CZTSSe absorber – due to spatial composition variations not unlike those observed in the nanocrystals – as a primary V OC inhibitor. Additional causes for low VOC’s in CZTSSe solar cells proposed in the literature involve recombination at the interface between the CZTSSe absorber and: (1) the n-type, CdS buffer layer, or (2) the Mo back contact, and work is presented to ...

Providing access to on-demand energy at the global scale is a grand challenge of our time. The fabrication of solar cells from nanocrystal inks comprising earth abundant elements represents a scalable and sustainable photovoltaic technology with the potential to meet the global demand for electricity. Solar cells with Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) absorber layers are of particular interest due to the high absorption coefficient of CZTSSe, its band gap in the ideal range for efficient photovoltaic power conversion, and the relative abundance of its constituent elements in the earth’s crust. Despite the promise of this material system, CZTSSe solar cell efficiencies reported throughout literature have failed to exceed 12.6%, principally due to the low open-circuit voltage (VOC) achieved in these devices compared to the absorber band gap. The work presented herein primarily aims to address the low VOC problem. First, the fundamental cause for such low VOC’s is investigated. Interparticle compositional inhomogeneities identified in the synthesized CZTS nanocrystals and their effect on the absorber layer formation and device performance are characterized. Real-time energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction (EDXRD) elucidates the role of these inhomogeneities in the mechanism by which a film of CZTS nanocrystals converts into a dense absorber layer comprising micron-sized CZTSSe grains upon annealing in a selenium atmosphere (selenization). Additionally, a direct correlation between the nanocrystal inhomogeneities and the VOC in completed devices is observed. Detailed characterization of CZTSSe solar cells identifies electrical potential fluctuations in the CZTSSe absorber – due to spatial composition variations not unlike those observed in the nanocrystals – as a primary V OC inhibitor. Additional causes for low VOC’s in CZTSSe solar cells proposed in the literature involve recombination at the interface between the CZTSSe absorber and: (1) the n-type, CdS buffer layer, or (2) the Mo back contact, and work is presented to ...

The delivery of precipitation through large and small scale precipitation features plays a key role in the hydrological cycle. Therefore, it is important to understand how the organization of precipitation will change as the earth warms. The organization of precipitation can be characterized into either widespread, mesoscale precipitation features (MPF) or short-lived, isolated precipitation features (IPF). The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to simulate precipitation features at a 3 km resolution during the 17-22 June 2010 period in the Southeast US under present and future climate conditions. In this methodology, the model is first run in present climate mode and then rerun with an adjusted initial state that adds projected temperature anomalies for the 2090s based on Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). In the future climate simulations, small changes in precipitation occurred under RCP4.5 warming, but many significant changes were noted under RCP8.5 warming. Domain-averaged precipitation increased in the future climate simulations, with the largest changes over the ocean relative to the continent. In the future climates, IPF grew larger in length and eventually coalesced into MPF, reducing the total number of IPF and increasing the number of MPF. IPF and MPF also extended deeper into the troposphere and produced more precipitation overall.

The delivery of precipitation through large and small scale precipitation features plays a key role in the hydrological cycle. Therefore, it is important to understand how the organization of precipitation will change as the earth warms. The organization of precipitation can be characterized into either widespread, mesoscale precipitation features (MPF) or short-lived, isolated precipitation features (IPF). The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to simulate precipitation features at a 3 km resolution during the 17-22 June 2010 period in the Southeast US under present and future climate conditions. In this methodology, the model is first run in present climate mode and then rerun with an adjusted initial state that adds projected temperature anomalies for the 2090s based on Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). In the future climate simulations, small changes in precipitation occurred under RCP4.5 warming, but many significant changes were noted under RCP8.5 warming. Domain-averaged precipitation increased in the future climate simulations, with the largest changes over the ocean relative to the continent. In the future climates, IPF grew larger in length and eventually coalesced into MPF, reducing the total number of IPF and increasing the number of MPF. IPF and MPF also extended deeper into the troposphere and produced more precipitation overall.