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How battery energy storage impacts grid congestion:An evaluation of the trade-offs between different battery control strategies
Get PDFTo reduce greenhouse gas emissions, countries around the world are pursuing electrification policies. In residential areas, electrification will increase electricity supply and demand, which is expected to increase grid congestion at a faster rate than grids can be reinforced. Battery energy storage (BES) has the potential to reduce grid congestion and defer grid reinforcement, thus supporting the energy transition. But, BES could equally exacerbate grid congestion. This leads to the question: What are the trade-offs between different battery control strategies, considering battery performance and battery grid impacts? This paper addresses this question using the battery energy storage evaluation method (BESEM), which interlinks a BES model with an electricity grid model to simulate the interactions between these two systems. In this paper, the BESEM is applied to a case study, wherein the relative effects of different BES control strategies are compared. The results from this case study indicate that batteries can reduce grid congestion if they are passively controlled (i.e., constraining battery power) or actively controlled (i.e., overriding normal battery operations). Using batteries to reduce congestion was found to reduce the primary benefits provided by the batteries to the battery owners, but could increase secondary benefits. Further, passive battery controls were found to be nearly as effective as active battery controls at reducing grid congestion in certain situations. These findings indicate that the trade-offs between different battery control strategies are not always obvious, and should be evaluated using a method like the BESEM
Leveraging Citizen Science to Improve Exercise-Friendliness in a Low Socio-economic Status Neighborhood:A First-Generation Study of the Co-Development of Walking Routes in the Netherlands
No full textCitizen science has demonstrated potential to foster local changes in public health, including physical (in)activity. We used community-engaged citizen science to explore how to improve the exercise-friendliness of a Dutch neighborhood, chosen because it scored below average on important health parameters.We followed the steps of design thinking and employed the Our Voice citizen science method to find out how community members perceived exercise-friendliness in their neighborhood. Members participated in technology-enabled “discovery” walks using the multi-lingual Stanford Neighborhood Discovery Tool mobile application. Positive, negative, and dual features in the neighborhood were captured. During a researcher-facilitated process, citizen scientists analyzed their data together, leading to overarching themes reflecting resident needs and desires. These themes served as the basis for developing a walking route throughout the neighborhood. Several initial walking route prototypes were developed and tested by citizen scientists, resulting in a final route design that was realized in collaboration with local government officials. Citizen scientists were interviewed and asked about their engagement with and sense of agency throughout the research process. They reported commitment to the project and their neighborhood, and a desire to contribute to society. They also reported increased agency in contributing to neighborhood impacts.This project showed that citizen science “by the people” is a powerful way to engage people with projects in their own neighborhoods. It provided local perspectives on the neighborhood, which led to actual changes in the environmen
Solar energy production after cleaning (PONS):Effect of soiling and cleaning of solar parks in the Netherlands
Get PDFInvolving Adult Siblings in the Lives of Individuals With Pervasive Support Needs:Attitudes of Healthcare Professionals
No full textAchtergrond: Het is belangrijk om volwassen broers en zussen te betrekken bij personen met intensieve ondersteuningsbehoeften. Deze studie onderzoekt de houding van zorgprofessionals in dit proces.Methode: De houding van zorgprofessionals (n=60) in Nederland werd onderzocht door middel van een online, zelf ontwikkelde enquête met open en gesloten vragen.Resultaten: Ongeveer 40% van de deelnemers gaf aan (gedeeltelijk) onvoldoende kennis te hebben over de voorkeuren van broers en zussen en 23% gaf aan (gedeeltelijk) onvoldoende praktische mogelijkheden te hebben om broers en zussen te betrekken. De meerderheid (deels) beschouwde de betrokkenheid van broers en zussen als een plezierig onderdeel van hun werk (82%), beoordeelde hun kennis en vaardigheden positief (87%) en vond de betrokkenheid van broers en zussen zo belangrijk dat ze bereid waren om zich daarvoor aanzienlijk in te spannen (61%). Niet alle deelnemers beschouwden het als hun taak om samen te werken.Conclusies: Er is behoefte aan meer kennis bij zorgprofessionals over de voorkeuren van volwassen broers en zussen en aan een structurele integratie van de betrokkenheid van broers en zussen in de zorgpraktijk.Background: Facilitating adult sibling involvement for individuals with pervasive support needs is important. This study explores the attitudes of healthcare professionals in this process. Method: The attitudes of healthcare professionals (n = 60) in the Netherlands were explored through an online, self-developed survey with open and closed-ended questions. Results: Around 40% of the participants reported (partly) lacking knowledge about sibling preferences and 23% (partly) lacking practical opportunities for involving siblings. The majority (partly) perceived the involvement of siblings as an enjoyable part of their work (82%), rated their knowledge and skills positively (87%), and regarded sibling involvement as such importance that they would be willing to exert considerable effort to contribute to it (61%). Not all participants perceived it as their job to collaborate with siblings. Conclusions: There is a need to increase healthcare professionals' knowledge about adult sibling preferences and structurally embed sibling involvement within care practices
Factors contributing to differences in physical activity levels in (pre)frail older adults living in rural areas of China
No full textINTRODUCTION: Physical Activity (PA) is essential for enhancing the physical function of pre-frail and frail older adults. However, among this group, PA-levels vary significantly. Identifying the factors contributing to these differences could support tailored PA interventions. This study aims to examine factors associated with physical activity levels among pre-frail and frail older adults in rural China.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 284 (pre)frail older adults (aged ≥60 years) were included from ten rural healthcare centers in Northeast China. Participants were categorized into low-moderate and high physical activity groups assessed using the Short Form International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Four-dimensional data were collected, including demographics, health behaviors, objective physical performance measures, and self-reported perceived health profiles. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), a machine learning algorithm, was employed for binary classification (low-moderate vs. high physical activity). Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, and F1-score. To enhance interpretability, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were utilized to identify key predictive variables.RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 70 years (59% female, 86% farmers). The low-moderate group averaged 1,187 MET/week, while the high physical activity group reached 8,162 MET/week. Physical performance tests showed significantly better scores in the high PA group. The XGBoost model achieved 82.4% accuracy (AUC: 0.769, specificity: 90%, sensitivity: 63%). SHAP analysis revealed that self-reported social support, general health, ambulation, and physical performance measures were the most important factors.CONCLUSION: The high physical activity group demonstrated better physical function than the low-moderate physical activity group; though, both groups showed poorer physical function compared to the general older population. Self-reported health perceptions and social support significantly correlated with physical activity levels. Addressing these factors through targeted interventions-including community-based social support programs and structured mobility-enhancing exercises-may contribute to improved health outcomes and enhanced quality of life in this population.</p
Een wadi in iedere straat
No full textDoor de extreme regenval van 2024 werd in veel delen van Nederland schade en overlast veroorzaakt. Floris Boogaard, expert stedelijk waterbeheer bij Deltares, pleit voor de aanleg van een wadi in elke straat als oplossing voor de toenemende gevolgen van klimaatverandering. Wadi’s, die dienen als waterberging, kunnen veel van de negatieve effecten van hevige regenbuien opvangen. Om deze klimaatadaptieve maatregelen beter uit te leggen en het vertrouwen van bewoners te winnen, trok Floris deze zomer naar Groningen
Centrumvisies in Noord-Nederland:Een verkenning
No full textCentrumgebieden zijn van groot maatschappelijk belang. Een kloppend hart bepaalt de leefbaarheid en aantrekkelijkheid van een plaats. De functie van een centrumgebied is echter aan het veranderen door maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen. Binnensteden veranderen van ‘places to buy’ in ‘places to be’. Straten en panden waar nu detailhandel zit krijgen een andere functies.Wonen wordt belangrijker en de openbare ruimte hoogwaardiger en groener. Gemeenten moeten inspelen op de ontwikkelingen. Een richtinggevend instrument dat door veel gemeenten wordt opgesteld is de centrum- of binnenstadsvisie. Middels een centrumvisie worden de kaders, plannen en investeringsbeslissingen uitgezet. De uitwerking van deze verandering is plaats en context afhankelijk. In deze paper zijn de binnenstadvisies van 22 plaatsen in Noord-Nederland verkend. Met behulp van een thematische analyse zijn de binnenstadvisies geanalyseerd op inhoud en vorm. Daarnaast zijn de centrumvisies inhoudelijk vergeleken met actuele studies uit het werkveld. De resultaten uit de verkenning laten zien dat de vorm van centrumvisies divers is. De inhoud van de centrumvisies focussen voornamelijk over fysieke transformaties van centrumgebieden (de hardware). De meest bepalende onderwerpen in de binnenstadvisies zijn compacter centrum, transformatie winkelpanden, wonen en duurzaamheidsaspecten. Het belang van deze punten wordt door recente studies uit het werkveld bevestigt. De organisatorische kant (de software) van de ontwikkeling van centrumgebieden wordt in veel mindere mate behandeld in de centrumstadvisies. De studies beschouwen de implementatie van deze “software” als essentieel voor een succesvolle ontwikkeling van centrumgebiede
