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AbstractEuropean climate is associated with variability and changes in the mid-latitude atmospheric circulation. In this study, we aim to investigate potential future change in circulation over Europe by using the EURO-CORDEX regional climate projections at 0.11° grid mesh. In particular, we analyze future change in 500-hPa geopotential height (Gph), 500-hPa wind speed and mean sea level pressure (MSLP) addressing different warming levels of 1 °C, 2 °C and 3 °C, respectively. Simple scaling with the global mean temperature change is applied to the regional climate projections for monthly mean 500-hPa Gph and 500-hPa wind speed. Results from the ensemble mean of individual models show a robust increase in 500-hPa Gph and MSLP in winter over Mediterranean and Central Europe, indicating an intensification of anticyclonic circulation. This circulation change emerges robustly in most simulations within the coming decade. There are also enhanced westerlies which transport warm and moist air to the Mediterranean and Central Europe in winter and spring. It is also clear that, models showing different responses to circulation depend very much on the global climate model ensemble member in which they are nested. For all seasons, particularly autumn, the ensemble mean is much more correlated with the end of the century than most of the individual models. In general, the emergence of a scaled pattern appears rather quickly.

Biogas production is a clean renewable energy source that can improve lives in developing countries. However, winter temperatures in some areas are too low to enable enough biogas production in small unheated digesters to meet the energy requirements of households. Low-cost, high yield reactors adapted to the local climate are needed in those situations. A decision-support model was developed to assist in the design of biogas reactors capable of meeting households’ year-round energy needs. Monthly biogas production relative to household energy needs was calculated for the scenario of suburban Hanoi, Vietnam. Calculations included pig number, slurry (manure water mixture) dilution, retention time and biogas/solar heating. Although using biogas to heat the digester increased biogas production, it did not lead to an energy surplus, particularly with the 1:9 slurry dilution rate commonly used on pig farms. However, at a 1:3 slurry dilution, the use of solar heating to provide 90% and biogas 10% of the heat required to heat the digester to 35 °C improved the biogas production by 50% compared to psychrophilic production. The energy needs of an average five-person family throughout the year required 17 fattening pigs. This model can establish the best solution for producing sufficient energy throughout the year.

It is increasingly acknowledged that climate change is influencing terrestrial ecosystems by increased drought and rainfall intensities. Soil microbes are key drivers of many processes in terrestrial systems and rely on water in soil pores to fulfill their life cycles and functions. However, little is known on how drought and rainfall fluctuations, which affect the composition and structure of microbial communities, persist once original moisture conditions have been restored. Here, we study how simulated short-term drying and re-wetting events shape the community composition of soil fungi and prokaryotes. In a mesocosm experiment, soil was exposed to an extreme drought, then re-wetted to optimal moisture (50% WHC, water holding capacity) or to saturation level (100% WHC). Composition, community structure and diversity of microbes were measured by sequencing ITS and 16S rRNA gene amplicons 3 weeks after original moisture content had been restored. Drying and extreme re-wetting decreased richness of microbial communities, but not evenness. Abundance changes were observed in only 8% of prokaryote OTUs, and 25% of fungal OTUs, whereas all other OTUs did not differ between drying and re-wetting treatments. Two specific legacy response groups (LRGs) were observed for both prokaryotes and fungi. OTUs belonging to the first LRG decreased in relative abundance in soil with a history of drought, whereas OTUs that increased in soil with a history of drought formed a second LRG. These microbial responses were spread among different phyla. Drought appeared to be more important for the microbial community composition than the following extreme re-wetting. 16S profiles were correlated with both inorganic N concentration and basal respiration and ITS profiles correlated with fungal biomass. We conclude that a drying and/or an extreme re-wetting history can persist in soil microbial communities via specific response groups composed of members with broad phylogenetic origins, with possible functional consequences on soil processes and plant species. As a large fraction of OTUs responding to drying and re-wetting belonged to the rare biosphere, our results suggest that low abundant microbial species are potentially important for ecosystem responses to extreme weather events.

The rapid growth of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays installed in residential houses leads to serious voltage quality problems in low voltage distribution networks (LVDNs). In this paper, a combined method using the battery energy management of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and the active power curtailment (APC) of PV arrays is proposed to regulate voltage in LVDNs with high penetration level of PV resources. A distributed control strategy composed of two consensus algorithms is used to reach an effective utilization of limited storage capacity of PEV battery considering its power/capacity and state of charge (SoC). A consensus control algorithm is also developed to fairly share the required power curtailment among PVs during overvoltage periods. The main objective is to mitigate the voltage rise due to the reverse power flow and to compensate the voltage drop resulting from the peak load. Overall, the proposed algorithm contributes to a coordinated charging/discharging control of PEVs battery which provides a maximum utilization of available storage capacity throughout the network. In addition, the coordinated operation minimizes the required active power which is going to be curtailed from PV arrays. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is investigated on a typical three-phase four-wire LVDN in presence of PV resources and PEVs.

The majority of local respondents in a large-scale survey were in favour of planned local wind farms on the Danish coast, despite these wind farm plans being the source of wider public and political contestation and opposition. Here we discuss results from the open-ended questions in the survey, specifically focusing on comments expressing how some respondents felt split in their views of these wind farms, accepting the need for renewable energy while at the same time being concerned about the potential local impact of the wind farms. Building on previous theoretical propositions relating to energy infrastructure opposition, here we apply the concept of cognitive polyphasia in some depth, providing a socio-cognitive account of the internal contradiction of being positively disposed to renewable energy in principle, but concerned about or opposed to specific de­velopments in localities. We distinguish a cognitive polyphasic account of such mixed feelings from cognitive dissonance accounts, and we identify several types of polyphasic representations, providing a basis for further work in other cases. The majority of local respondents in a large-scale survey were in favour of planned local wind farms on theDanish coast, despite these wind farm plans being the source of wider public and political contestation andopposition. Here we discuss results from the open-ended questions in the survey, specifically focusing oncommentsexpressinghowsomerespondentsfeltsplitintheirviewsofthesewindfarms,acceptingtheneedforrenewableenergywhileatthesametimebeingconcernedaboutthepotentiallocalimpactofthewindfarms.Building on previous theoretical propositions relating to energy infrastructure opposition, here we apply theconceptofcognitivepolyphasiainsomedepth,providingasocio-cognitiveaccountoftheinternalcontradictionof being positively disposed to renewable energy in principle, but concerned about or opposed to specific de-velopments in localities. We distinguish a cognitive polyphasic account of such mixed feelings from cognitivedissonanceaccounts,andweidentify severaltypesofpolyphasicrepresentations,providingabasisforfurtherworkinothercases