• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close
• 12. Responsible consumption close
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Public awareness of the alcohol-cancer link is low. Provision of this information could reduce alcohol consumption and related harms. The Spread campaign is a multi-media education campaign implemented in Western Australia to inform people about the carcinogenic properties of alcohol and associated harms. The aims of the present study were to (i) examine attitudinal and behavioural outcomes of the Spread campaign and (ii) identify demographic and drinking status factors associated with enactment of harm-reduction behaviours resulting from exposure.A cross sectional survey of Western Australian drinkers (consumed alcohol at least a few times in the previous 12 months, n = 760) examined campaign recognition, campaign perceptions, and behaviours resulting from campaign exposure. Chi-square analyses and a generalised linear model were used to identify demographic and alcohol-related factors associated with behavioural outcomes.Around two-thirds of respondents recognised the campaign (65%), and of these, 22% reported successfully reducing how often or how much they drank due to seeing the campaign. Three quarters (73%) of all respondents considered the campaign message about the alcohol-cancer link to be believable. Respondents drinking at levels above the Australian guideline were less likely to have positive perceptions of the campaign than those complying with the guideline, but were more likely to report enacting the assessed harm-reduction behaviours as a result of campaign exposure.The results suggest that provision of information about the alcohol-cancer link has the potential to motivate reduced alcohol consumption. Implementing such campaigns could constitute an effective alcohol harm-reduction strategy.

Abstract: After the implementation of a biofuel target in 2017, China, the second largest consumer of oil in the world, accelerated the development of lignocellulosic biomass technology to produce ethanol and minimized food security risks commonly associated with first generation biofuel production. In this study, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to investigate three new lignocellulosic biomass refinery systems based on corncob which co-produce ethanol with chemicals and energy. The bioethanol is used in E10 and E85 biofuel mixes and these are compared with a fossil gasoline reference system. Using 1 km distance driven by a compact size flexible fuel passenger vehicle as the functional unit and a exergy allocation approach to the raw material inputs and to the co-products in the simulated multifunctional biorefinery processes, the results indicate that regardless of the configuration of the ethanol-biorefinery, ethanol-blended fuels performed better than gasoline in terms of fossil fuels depletion (E10 6% lower; E85 64–70% lower), global warming potential (E10 1–10% lower; E85 5–113% lower) and human toxicity potential (E10 6–7% lower; E85 72–75% lower), but worst in terms of ozone layer depletion (E10 4.5–6.8 times higher; E85 51.9–78.2 times higher), acidification (E10 30–50% higher; E85 3.3–5.5 times higher) and eutrophication potential (E10 5.2–7.0 times higher; E85 42.4–64.0 times higher) than gasoline.

Abstract In order to achieve a perfect bottom-up electroplated Cu filling with a minimal surface thickness, 2-mercaptopyridine (2-MP) was investigated as a new leveler for replacing Janus Green B (JGB) for bottom-up copper filling. Electrochemical impedence results indicate that 2-MP has a stronger suppression for Cu deposition than JGB. With the addition of 2-MP, the filling capability of the electroplating solution is improved significantly with the Cu thickness on surface decreasing from ∼16 μm to ∼10 μm. The interaction mechanisms of 2-MP, bis(3-sulfopropyl) disulfide (SPS), Cl − and tri-block copolymer of PEG and PPG with ethylene oxide terminal blocks (EPE) in the plating solution are studied by galvanostatic measurements (GMs). The acceleration effect of SPS and the inhibition effect of 2-MP on copper deposition occur in the presence of EPE, and the convection-dependent adsorption (CDA) behavior of additives usually occurs with the injection of four additives at optional concentrations. Further, it was found that when 1.0 ppm 2-MP, 1.0 ppm SPS and 200 ppm EPE were injected into the basic electrolyte, the potential difference ( Δ h) value of the electrolyte became positive, and the bottom-up electroplated copper filling was obtained in the electrolyte in absence of Cl − . The interaction mechanisms of three additives for bottom-up filling have been investigated by GMs.

While different in emphasis, spirituality and sustainable development are intertwined concepts that cannot be meaningfully discussed in isolation from each other. This is especially pertinent in Pacific Island countries that are characterised by both high degrees of vulnerability to climate change and high degrees of religious engagement. There is a paucity of research that examines the relationship between spirituality and sustainable development in contemporary human development discourse. To address this gap in the literature, this research employs an inductive and exploratory methodological approach to the study of major development organisations in Australia. It investigates what significance contemporary NGOs ascribe to matters of spirituality in the design and implementation of their community aid and development programming in the Pacific and beyond. To achieve its goal, the study conducts a systematic term frequency analysis in the annual reports of government-funded and independently funded NGOs, both faith-based and secular. It extends previous research by focusing expressly on the intersectionality of sustainable development and spirituality as a fertile space for interdisciplinary inquiry. The findings link development policy and practice more closely to the needs and worldviews of Pacific peoples. A better understanding of the spirituality–sustainability nexus will enable more effective, sustainable, equitable, ethical, and culturally acceptable development programming. Crucially, integrated approaches promise to make ongoing community development programmes and adaptation responses to climate-driven environmental change more effective and sustainable. Finally, it is an important aim of this study to conceptualise various opportunities for future research, thus laying the foundation for an important emergent research agenda.

In this paper, we apply game theory to study the price competition between drugstores and hospitals in China’s pharmaceutical supply chain. Motivated by drug shortages and price disparity problems, we build a simplified model with one supplier, one hospital, and one drugstore in which the sellers sell one kind of drug and compete on price. The hospital receives a discount from the government when ordering the drug and both sellers face a price-sensitive and uncertain demand. The existence and uniqueness of a Nash equilibrium are proved and closed-form solutions are found for linear demand cases. We characterize the pricing and ordering decisions of the hospital and drugstore. The analysis shows that high ex-factory price, high price sensitivity, and a small discount are three factors contributing to drug shortages. We consider two special kinds of linear demand to obtain insights into the drug price disparity problem.

Abstract Herein, we report the dual functionality of a single n-type gallium nitride (n-GaN) layer as an electron transporter and transparent conductor, which has applications in reusable organic solar cells. After silicon doping with an optimized electron concentration, thin-film layer of GaN showed exceptional electrical properties including charge carrier mobility of 161 cm2 V−1s−1, electrical conductivity of 1.4ⅹ106 S cm−1, and sheet resistance of 11.1 Ω cm−2. Organic solar cells based on n-GaN exhibited power conversion efficiency comparable to those based on a conventional ITO/ZnO bilayered cathode. Furthermore, the n-GaN substrates exhibited reusability; due to excellent chemical stability of n-GaN, the reconstructed organic solar cells maintained their initial performance after the substrates were recycled. We suggest a new type of reusable n-GaN cathode layer featuring an integrated electron transporting layer and transparent electrode.

Abstract The study quantifies the benefits of expanding electric cooking in the residential sector in terms of kerosene and fuel wood saved from the perspective of long term optimal energy system development of Bhutan. It also investigates the reductions in the emissions of CO2 and the indoor pollutants, SO2 and NOx due to fuel switching in the cooking enduse. This study method is based on the first ever integrated long-term energy system modeling in Bhutan, which was undertaken previously by the lead author as a master thesis work but not published. The energy system model for Bhutan was developed under the MARKAL model framework. In Bhutan electricity generation is pre-dominantly hydropower based on run-of-the-river schemes. The model results indicate that a sectoral level policy to promote electric cooking reduces the use of kerosene by 1832 kiloliters and fuelwood by 55 kilotonnes per annum which consequently leads to reductions in the emissions of CO2, SO2 and NOx by 17%, 12% and 8% respectively. The electric cooking scenario also complements the vision of Bhutan to reduce deforestation and to remain carbon neutral for all times to come.

Les bâtiments représentent une quantité importante de consommation d'énergie, ce qui entraîne des problèmes d'émissions mondiales et de changement climatique. Ainsi, la gestion de l'énergie dans un bâtiment est de plus en plus explorée en raison de son potentiel important de réduction des dépenses globales d'électricité pour les consommateurs et d'atténuation des émissions de carbone. En ligne avec cela, un plus grand contrôle et une optimisation de la gestion de l'énergie intégrée aux ressources énergétiques renouvelables sont nécessaires pour améliorer l'efficacité énergétique des bâtiments tout en satisfaisant le confort de l'environnement intérieur. Même si des mesures sont prises pour réduire la consommation d'énergie dans les bâtiments avec plusieurs techniques d'optimisation et de contrôle, certains problèmes restent non résolus. Par conséquent, ce travail fournit un examen complet des méthodes de contrôle conventionnelles et intelligentes en mettant l'accent sur leur classification, leurs caractéristiques, leur configuration, leurs avantages et leurs inconvénients. Cet examen examine de manière critique les différents objectifs et contraintes d'optimisation en ce qui concerne la gestion du confort, la consommation d'énergie et la planification. En outre, la revue décrit les différentes approches méthodologiques des algorithmes d'optimisation utilisés dans la gestion de l'énergie des bâtiments. Les contributions du contrôleur et de l'optimisation dans la gestion de l'énergie des bâtiments avec la relation des objectifs de développement durable (ODD) sont expliquées rigoureusement. Des discussions sur les principaux défis des méthodes existantes sont présentées afin d'identifier les lacunes pour les recherches futures. L'examen fournit des orientations futures efficaces qui seraient bénéfiques pour les chercheurs et les industriels afin de concevoir un contrôleur optimisé efficacement pour la gestion de l'énergie du bâtiment en vue de cibler les ODD. Los edificios representan una cantidad significativa de consumo de energía que conduce a los problemas de las emisiones globales y el cambio climático. Por lo tanto, la gestión de la energía en un edificio se explora cada vez más debido a su importante potencial para reducir los gastos generales de electricidad para los consumidores y mitigar las emisiones de carbono. En línea con ello, se requiere un mayor control y optimización de la gestión energética integrada con los recursos energéticos renovables para mejorar la eficiencia energética del edificio a la vez que se satisface el confort del entorno interior. A pesar de que se están tomando medidas para reducir el consumo de energía en edificios con varias técnicas de optimización y control, algunos problemas siguen sin resolverse. Por lo tanto, este trabajo proporciona una revisión exhaustiva de los métodos de control convencionales e inteligentes con énfasis en su clasificación, características, configuración, beneficios e inconvenientes. Esta revisión investiga críticamente los diferentes objetivos y restricciones de optimización con respecto a la gestión del confort, el consumo de energía y la programación. Además, la revisión describe los diferentes enfoques metodológicos de los algoritmos de optimización utilizados en la gestión energética de los edificios. Se explican de forma rigurosa los aportes del controlador y la optimización en la gestión energética del edificio con la relación de los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible (ODS). Se presentan discusiones sobre los desafíos clave de los métodos existentes para identificar las brechas para futuras investigaciones. La revisión ofrece algunas direcciones futuras efectivas que serían beneficiosas para los investigadores e industriales para diseñar un controlador optimizado de manera eficiente para la gestión de la energía de los edificios hacia la consecución de los ODS. Buildings account for a significant amount of energy consumption leading to the issues of global emissions and climate change. Thus, energy management in a building is increasingly explored due to its significant potential in reducing the overall electricity expenses for the consumers and mitigating carbon emissions. In line with that, the greater control and optimization of energy management integrated with renewable energy resources is required to improve building energy efficiency while satisfying indoor environment comfort. Even though actions are being taken to reduce the energy consumption in buildings with several optimization and controller techniques, yet some issues remain unsolved. Therefore, this work provides a comprehensive review of the conventional and intelligent control methods with emphasis on their classification, features, configuration, benefits, and drawbacks. This review critically investigates the different optimization objectives and constraints with respect to comfort management, energy consumption, and scheduling. Furthermore, the review outlines the different methodological approaches to optimization algorithms used in building energy management. The contributions of controller and optimization in building energy management with the relation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) are explained rigorously. Discussions on the key challenges of the existing methods are presented to identify the gaps for future research. The review delivers some effective future directions that would be beneficial to the researchers and industrialists to design an efficiently optimized controller for building energy management toward targeting SDGs. تمثل المباني كمية كبيرة من استهلاك الطاقة مما يؤدي إلى قضايا الانبعاثات العالمية وتغير المناخ. وبالتالي، يتم استكشاف إدارة الطاقة في المبنى بشكل متزايد بسبب إمكاناته الكبيرة في تقليل نفقات الكهرباء الإجمالية للمستهلكين والتخفيف من انبعاثات الكربون. وتماشياً مع ذلك، يلزم زيادة التحكم في إدارة الطاقة المتكاملة مع موارد الطاقة المتجددة وتحسينها لتحسين كفاءة استخدام الطاقة في المباني مع إرضاء راحة البيئة الداخلية. على الرغم من اتخاذ إجراءات لتقليل استهلاك الطاقة في المباني باستخدام العديد من تقنيات التحسين والتحكم، إلا أن بعض المشكلات لا تزال دون حل. لذلك، يوفر هذا العمل مراجعة شاملة لأساليب التحكم التقليدية والذكية مع التركيز على تصنيفها وميزاتها وتكوينها وفوائدها وعيوبها. تبحث هذه المراجعة بشكل نقدي في أهداف وقيود التحسين المختلفة فيما يتعلق بإدارة الراحة واستهلاك الطاقة والجدولة. علاوة على ذلك، تحدد المراجعة الأساليب المنهجية المختلفة لخوارزميات التحسين المستخدمة في بناء إدارة الطاقة. يتم شرح مساهمات المراقب والتحسين في بناء إدارة الطاقة مع العلاقة بين أهداف التنمية المستدامة (SDGs) بدقة. يتم تقديم مناقشات حول التحديات الرئيسية للطرق الحالية لتحديد الثغرات للبحث في المستقبل. تقدم المراجعة بعض الاتجاهات المستقبلية الفعالة التي ستكون مفيدة للباحثين والصناعيين لتصميم وحدة تحكم محسنة بكفاءة لبناء إدارة الطاقة نحو استهداف أهداف التنمية المستدامة.

Smart buildings (SBs) are developed in many different ways and are self-proclaimed smart. There are a great number of publications introducing smart systems using a wider range of tools and sensors. However, the level of smartness, functions of the smart system, and the usefulness of the system are not the same, which may give a wrong impression to clients or potential buyers of a building. Developing a scoring system that enables determining the overall smartness of a building is necessary. Despite the necessity, there is a dearth of studies in this area. Hence, the purpose of this study is to develop a scoring system to evaluate the level of smartness of Sri Lankan commercial buildings. Thus, initially, smart criteria were identified, defined, and categorized through a literature survey. Subsequently, 35 experts in the commercial building sector were interviewed. Finally, the relative importance of the smart criteria was derived through the AHP technique, and accordingly, a scoring system was developed. The study identified six main criteria to evaluate the smartness of buildings in the scoring system. The automation criterion with the highest relative weight was concluded to be the dominant criterion (45.59%) in the scoring system. Communication and data sharing were placed at second with a relative weight of 18.76% and indicates the importance given by the study findings in establishing the backbones of SBs. Occupants’ comfort, energy management, occupants’ health and safety, and sustainability criterion were ranked third, fourth, fifth, and sixth within the scoring system. This study is one of the first to investigate in detail the contribution of both soft and hard services of a facility in determining the overall smartness of a building. Property developers in the commercial building sector can benefit from this study by recognizing the necessary criteria to be embedded in their SB development projects in order to attract more tenants and customers.