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Abstract In Australia, the government spending on public buildings’ energy and water consumption is considerable; however the building energy and water retrofit market potential has been diminished by a number of barriers, especially financial. In contrast, in other advanced economies there are several reported financing strategies that have been shown to accelerate retrofit projects implementation. In this study, a coupled Bayesian Network – System Dynamics model was developed with the core aim to assess the likely influence of those novel financing options and procurement procedures on public building retrofit outcomes scenarios in the Australian context. A particular case-study focusing on Australian public hospitals was showcased as an example in this paper. Stakeholder engagement was utilised to estimate likely preferences and to conceptualise causal relationships of model parameters. The scenario modelling showed that a revolving loan fund supporting an energy performance contracting procurement procedure was preferred. Subsequently, the specific features of this preferred framework were optimised to yield the greatest number of viable retrofit projects over the long term. The results indicated that such a financing scheme would lead to substantial abatement of energy and water consumption, as well as carbon emissions. The strategic scenario analysis approach developed herein provides evidence-based support to policy-makers advocating novel financing and procurement models for addressing a government’s sustainability agenda in a financially responsible and net-positive manner.

AbstractHerein, we present ultrasmall delafossite‐type Mg‐doped CuCrO2 nanocrystals prepared by using hydrothermal synthesis and their first application as photocathodes in efficient p‐type dye‐sensitized solar cells. The short‐circuit current density (Jsc) is notably increased by approximately 27 % owing to the decreased crystallite size and the enhanced optical transmittance associated with Mg doping of the CuCrO2 nanocrystalline sample. An open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 201 mV, Jsc of 1.51 mA cm−2, fill factor of 0.449, and overall photoconversion efficiency of 0.132 % have been achieved with the CuCr0.9Mg0.1O2 dye photocathode sensitized with the P1 dye under optimized conditions. This efficiency is nearly three times higher than that of the NiO‐based reference device, which is attributed to the largely improved Voc and Jsc. The augmentation of Voc and Jsc can be attributed to the lower valance band position and the faster hole diffusion coefficient of CuCr0.9Mg0.1O2 compared to those of the NiO reference, respectively, which leads to a higher hole collection efficiency.

Sustainably feeding the world’s growing population represents one of our most significant challenges. Aquaculture is well positioned to make contributions towards this challenge. Yet, the translation of aquaculture production innovations into benefits for rural communities is constrained by a limited understanding of the social dynamics that influence the adoption of new agricultural practices. In this paper, we investigate the factors that shape the spread of small-scale tilapia aquaculture through rural Solomon Islands. Based on diffusion of innovation theory, we focus on three potentially influential factors: (i) socio-economic characteristics of adopters; (ii) the role of opinion leaders; and (iii) characteristics of the innovation. We find that farmers who were wealthier, older, and had more diverse livelihoods were most likely to be adopters. Opinion leaders facilitated the adoption of tilapia aquaculture, but lacked the capacity to provide fundamental knowledge necessary to realize its potential benefits to food security. The paper argues for more explicit attention to the poorest households and makes the case for a deeper engagement with the broader social and institutional contexts that shape the adoption process. Aquaculture interventions that account for these social dynamics are critical for translating production innovations into sustainable benefits to rural communities.

Deregulated energy markets were founded on the Merchant Power Producer, a stand-alone generator that sold its production to the spot and short-term forward markets, underpinned by long-dated project finance. The initial enthusiasm that existed for investment in existing and new merchant power plant capacity shortly after power system deregulation has progressively dissipated, following an excess entry result. In this article, we demonstrate why this has become a global trend. Using debt-sizing parameters typically used by project banks, we model a benchmark plant, then re-simulate its performance using live energy market price data and find that such financings are no longer feasible in the absence of long-term Power Purchase Agreements.

L'aquaculture joue un rôle important dans la sécurité alimentaire et fournit des moyens de subsistance et des emplois à des millions de personnes dans les communautés côtières du monde entier. Cependant, le secteur aquacole en pleine croissance a également suscité des débats sur sa durabilité écologique à long terme, sa viabilité économique, les inégalités sociales potentielles et les problèmes de gouvernance. Nous avons étudié les défis et les opportunités perçus pour parvenir à une aquaculture durable du crabe de boue dans les régions côtières tropicales en utilisant l'étude de cas des fermes côtières de crabe de boue dans l'Andhra Pradesh, en Inde. Sur la base des perceptions et des données financières indicatives d'un échantillon de parties prenantes, nous avons étudié les résultats économiques potentiels dans différents scénarios représentant des niveaux de rendement, des facteurs de risque et des périodes de projet variables. Les principaux risques identifiés par les parties prenantes étaient associés à l'approvisionnement limité en graines de crabe de boue et au manque d'accès aux programmes de soutien gouvernementaux et non gouvernementaux. Il n'y a pas de tampons financiers, donc des épidémies majeures ou des conditions météorologiques extrêmes causées par le changement climatique entraîneraient une perte de moyens de subsistance. Cet article met également en évidence le facteur le plus critique déterminant le niveau de succès de l'élevage du crabe de boue étant le taux de survie du crabe qui est influencé par une variété de facteurs, y compris l'augmentation de la température de la surface de la mer. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que l'élevage de crabes de boue à petite échelle comporte moins de risques et une plus grande flexibilité que l'élevage de crabes de boue à grande échelle. Il pourrait s'agir d'une entreprise économiquement durable et servir d'outil de réduction de la pauvreté dans les pays en développement si un soutien et une formation en matière de microfinance sont disponibles. La acuicultura desempeña un papel importante en la seguridad alimentaria y proporciona medios de subsistencia y empleo a millones de personas en las comunidades costeras de todo el mundo. Sin embargo, el creciente sector de la acuicultura también ha creado debates en torno a su sostenibilidad ecológica a largo plazo, viabilidad económica, posibles desigualdades sociales y problemas de gobernanza. Investigamos los desafíos y oportunidades percibidos para lograr una acuicultura sostenible de cangrejo de fango en las regiones costeras tropicales utilizando el estudio de caso de las granjas costeras de cangrejo de fango en Andhra Pradesh, India. Con base en las percepciones y los datos financieros indicativos de una muestra de partes interesadas, investigamos los posibles resultados económicos en diferentes escenarios que representan diferentes niveles de rendimiento, factores de riesgo y períodos de tiempo del proyecto. Los principales riesgos identificados por las partes interesadas se asociaron con el suministro limitado de semillas de cangrejo de fango y la falta de acceso a esquemas de apoyo gubernamentales y no gubernamentales. No hay amortiguadores financieros, por lo tanto, los grandes brotes de enfermedades o las condiciones climáticas extremas causadas por el cambio climático conducirían a la pérdida de los medios de vida. Este documento también destaca que el factor más crítico que determina el nivel de éxito del cultivo de cangrejo de fango es la tasa de supervivencia del cangrejo, que está influenciada por una variedad de factores, incluido el aumento de la temperatura de la superficie del mar. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que el cultivo de cangrejo de fango a pequeña escala tiene menos riesgos y una mayor flexibilidad que el cultivo de cangrejo de fango a gran escala. Podría ser una empresa económicamente sostenible y servir como una herramienta para el alivio de la pobreza en los países en desarrollo si se dispone de apoyo y capacitación en microfinanzas. Aquaculture plays a significant role in food security and provides livelihoods and employment for millions of people among coastal communities worldwide. However, the growing aquaculture sector has also created debates around its long-term ecological sustainability, economic viability, potential social inequalities and governance issues. We investigated the perceived challenges and opportunities to achieving sustainable mud crab aquaculture in tropical coastal regions by using the case study of coastal mud crab farms in Andhra Pradesh, India. Informed by perceptions and indicative financial data from a sample of stakeholders we investigated the potential economic outcomes under different scenarios representing varying yield levels, risk factors and project time periods. The main risks identified by the stakeholders were associated with the limited supply of mud crab seeds and the lack of access to governmental and non-governmental support schemes. There are no financial buffers, therefore major disease outbreaks or extreme weather conditions caused by climate change would lead to a loss of livelihoods. This paper also highlights the most critical factor determining the level of success of mud crab farming being the crab survival rate which is influenced by a variety of factors including increasing sea surface temperature. The results of this study show that small-scale mud crab farming has fewer risks and higher flexibility involved than large-scale mud crab farming. It could be an economically sustainable enterprise and serve as a tool for poverty alleviation in developing countries if microfinance support and training are available. تلعب تربية الأحياء المائية دورًا مهمًا في الأمن الغذائي وتوفر سبل العيش وفرص العمل لملايين الأشخاص بين المجتمعات الساحلية في جميع أنحاء العالم. ومع ذلك، فإن قطاع تربية الأحياء المائية المتنامي قد خلق أيضًا مناقشات حول استدامته البيئية طويلة الأجل، وقابليته الاقتصادية، وعدم المساواة الاجتماعية المحتملة، وقضايا الحوكمة. لقد حققنا في التحديات والفرص المتصورة لتحقيق تربية مستدامة لسرطان البحر الطيني في المناطق الساحلية الاستوائية باستخدام دراسة حالة لمزارع سرطان البحر الطيني الساحلية في ولاية أندرا براديش، الهند. استنادًا إلى التصورات والبيانات المالية الإرشادية من عينة من أصحاب المصلحة، قمنا بالتحقيق في النتائج الاقتصادية المحتملة في ظل سيناريوهات مختلفة تمثل مستويات عائد متفاوتة وعوامل خطر وفترات زمنية للمشروع. ارتبطت المخاطر الرئيسية التي حددها أصحاب المصلحة بمحدودية المعروض من بذور سرطان البحر الطيني وعدم الوصول إلى خطط الدعم الحكومية وغير الحكومية. لا توجد حواجز مالية، وبالتالي فإن تفشي الأمراض الرئيسية أو الظروف الجوية القاسية الناجمة عن تغير المناخ ستؤدي إلى فقدان سبل العيش. تسلط هذه الورقة الضوء أيضًا على العامل الأكثر أهمية الذي يحدد مستوى نجاح زراعة سرطان البحر الطيني وهو معدل بقاء سرطان البحر الذي يتأثر بمجموعة متنوعة من العوامل بما في ذلك زيادة درجة حرارة سطح البحر. تظهر نتائج هذه الدراسة أن زراعة سرطان البحر الطيني على نطاق صغير تنطوي على مخاطر أقل ومرونة أعلى من زراعة سرطان البحر الطيني على نطاق واسع. يمكن أن يكون مشروعًا مستدامًا اقتصاديًا وأن يكون بمثابة أداة للتخفيف من حدة الفقر في البلدان النامية إذا توفر الدعم والتدريب في مجال التمويل الأصغر.

Abstract It is usual to extract hot water from a storage tank, using displacement by cold water from the mains; this causes the temperature of the outgoing hot water to decrease with time. In order to alleviate this undesirable feature a number of tanks in series may be employed. In this communication the effect of number of tanks on the outlet temperature of hot water, has been analytically investigated; it has been assumed that the only heat exchange, taking place in the tanks is on account of flow of water. The considerations in this analysis are similar to those made by Rabinovich and Fert [1] and Rabinovich [2], for a system of tanks in a solar collector loop without any outflow of water. Thus the analysis is best applicable when hot water is extracted at a fast rate, so that the gain or loss of heat by other mechanisms is negligible, compared to that due to the flow of water. The analysis should also be applicable to shallow solar ponds, Sodha et al. [3], and built in storage water heaters, Sodha et al. [4].

In order to maximize the Pt utilization in catalysts and improve catalytic processes, we report a convenient strategy for preparation of Pt3Co with Pt-skin structured bimetallic nanocatalysts directly supported on porous graphitic carbon. Notably, the thickness of the Pt-skin is only 1–2 atomic layers, about 0.5 nm. Surprisingly, the bimetallic nanocatalysts composed of Pt3Co with Pt-skin are first used as ethanol electro-catalysts, with the mass activity of 0.79 mA μgPt–1, which is a 250% enhancement compared with commercial Pt/C (0.32 mA μgPt–1). On the basis of the results of electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) and density functional theory (DFT), a new ethanol electro-oxidation enhancement mechanism is proposed in which Pt3Co with Pt-skin promotes partial oxidation of ethanol over C–C bond cleavage, thereby resulting in higher CH3COOH production than CO2 production.

Transmission line losses are a crucial and essential issue in stable power system operation. Numerous methodologies and techniques prevail for minimizing losses. Subsequently, Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTSs) efficiently reduce transmission losses, and the Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) is a reactive power compensation controller. The parameter strength of the proportional–integral (PI) controller was calibrated with the Marine Predator Algorithm (MPA), a recent metaheuristic algorithm. An MPA-based optimum PI controller with a UPFC evaluates the optimal location of the UPFC and PI controller parameters to accomplish the desired research objective. The power rating of the UPFC was determined depending on the voltage collapse rating and power loss and an evaluated performance analysis of the MPA–PI-controlled UPFC on a modified IEEE-30 bus transmission network in MATLAB Simulink code. The Newton–Raphson method was used to perform the load flow analysis. Hence, the proposed MPA–PI controller was examined in contrast to preferred heuristic algorithms, the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) and Moth Flame Optimization algorithms (MFO); the results showed that the MPA–PI controller exhibited better performance with an improved voltage profile and surpasses active power losses with the optimal placement of the UPFC device under different loading conditions. The active power loss, considering a UPFC with the proposed algorithm, reduced from 0.0622 p.u to 0.0301 p.u; consequently, the voltage profile was improved in the respective buses, and the loss percentage reduction during a 100% base load was 68.39%, which was comparatively better than the ABC and MFO algorithms.