398 research outputs found

    Joint relay and jammer selection improves the physical layer security in the face of CSI feedback delays

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    We enhance the physical-layer security (PLS) of amplify-and-forward relaying networks with the aid of joint relay and jammer selection (JRJS), despite the deliterious effect of channel state information (CSI) feedback delays. Furthermore, we conceive a new outage-based characterization approach for the JRJS scheme. The traditional best relay selection (TBRS) is also considered as a benchmark. We first derive closed-form expressions of both the connection outage probability (COP) and of the secrecy outage probability (SOP) for both the TBRS and JRJS schemes. Then, a reliable-and-secure connection probability (RSCP) is defined and analyzed for characterizing the effect of the correlation between the COP and SOP introduced by the corporate source-relay link. The reliability-security ratio (RSR) is introduced for characterizing the relationship between the reliability and security through the asymptotic analysis. Moreover, the concept of effective secrecy throughput is defined as the product of the secrecy rate and of the RSCP for the sake of characterizing the overall efficiency of the system, as determined by the transmit SNR, secrecy codeword rate and the power sharing ratio between the relay and jammer. The impact of the direct source-eavesdropper link and additional performance comparisons with respect to other related selection schemes are further included. Our numerical results show that the JRJS scheme outperforms the TBRS method both in terms of the RSCP as well as in terms of its effective secrecy throughput, but it is more sensitive to the feedback delays. Increasing the transmit SNR will not always improve the overall throughput. Moreover, the RSR results demonstrate that upon reducing the CSI feedback delays, the reliability improves more substantially than the security degrades, implying an overall improvement in terms of the security-reliability tradeoff. Additionally, the secrecy throughput loss due to the second hop feedback delay is more pronounced th- n that of the first hop

    Consumers’ Attitudes towards Surcharges on Distributed Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Efficiency Programs

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    abstract: Increasing penetration of energy efficiency programs and distributed renewable energy generation has imposed significant challenges for utilities to recoup their large upfront costs. There is a heated debate on what surcharges should be implemented to help the utilities recover their fixed costs; however, very few studies focus on consumers’ attitudes regarding this topic. This study surveys about 190 residential consumers throughout the United States in November 2015, investigating their preferences and attitudes towards extra demand charges and volumetric energy price increases. We apply probit models and regress consumers’ attitudes on selected socio-demographic and behavioral variables. The results indicate the homeowners are more likely to prefer demand charges when compared to renters. The demographic and behavioral factors impact consumers’ perception of bill savings from energy efficiency programs or solar panel installation and also influence how consumers perceive the fairness of utilities recovering revenue losses by increasing volumetric energy price. In this paper, we demonstrate there is preference heterogeneity among consumers and that policy makers should be aware of such preference heterogeneity and apply policy targeting based on the identified demographics and behavioral factors impacting consumer preferences.The final version of this article, as published in Sustainability, can be viewed online at: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/8/147

    Peer Effects and Voluntary Green Building Certification

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    abstract: Empirical evidence is provided to show that peer effects have statistically significant and positive impacts on the diffusion of green building certificates. Application and approval records of green certificates by commercial buildings in NY and AZ are used. The challenge of self-selection is addressed by the usage of fixed effects and the challenge of reflection is addressed by the time lag delay between a building’s application and its approval. Empirical results show that an additional approved LEED certificate within a zip code will increase the probability of a commercial building in the same zip code to apply for a LEED certificate by 3–4 percentage points; an additional approved Energy Star certificate within a zip code will increase the probability of a commercial building in the same zip code to apply for an Energy Star certificate by 1–2 percentage points
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