443 research outputs found
Consumers’ Attitudes towards Surcharges on Distributed Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Efficiency Programs
No full textabstract: 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
No full textabstract: 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
References to international anti-corruption conventions in international investment arbitration and international investment agreements
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The inclusion of anti-corruption clauses in international investment agreements and its possible systemic implications
No full textParameter Identification, Simulation, Linearization and Validation of a Ship Propulsion System
No full textThis Thesis is written to obtain the Master of Science degree of Maritime Technology at Delft University of Technology. It describes a research regarding with the calibration(parameter identification), validation and linearization of a ship propulsion system model. In the meantime, the Thesis is also one sub-project under the research program "Potential of Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation in the Towing Tank" held by Dr.Ir.A.Vrijdag. HIL (Hardware-In-the-Loop) Simulation is widely used in Engineering Technology Field, and has been proved to be a very effective, highly-efficient, economical and environmental friendly strategy in the test and development of engineering control systems. The model scale ship tests nowadays, on the other hand, need to be improved and HIL Simulation provides an innovative & creative way, therefore it is reasonable to start the program and explore more in this field
Measuring and Advancing Commercial Courts\u27 Internationality
No full textThe rise of international commercial courts (“ICCs”) intensified discussions about their “internationality.” However, what “internationality” truly means—whether as a normative matter or its practical manifestation—remains unarticulated in the literature. Our Article addresses this gap by examining the concept of internationality in ICCs both theoretically and empirically, which has further prompted a reevaluation of global dispute resolution paradigms.
This Article delivers three key contributions. First, it introduces a nuanced framework to assess an ICC’s internationality. Moving beyond seemingly obvious but ultimately superficial indicators of internationality (e.g., inclusion of foreign judges, use of English as the court language), this new framework is premised on the core objectives which internationalization processes are meant to achieve. This framework draws insights from comparisons with other established dispute resolution mechanisms and integrates foundational values of dispute resolution, such as impartiality, efficiency, diversity, and flexibility.
Second, applying this framework, we identify significant discrepancies—both jurisdictional and procedural—between conceptual expectations and actual implementations in ICC judgments from China, Singapore, and the Netherlands. One notable example is the frequent involvement of international judges in cases unrelated to their home country’s legal systems.
Third, the Article suggests targeted reforms inspired by these findings, proposing effective strategies for China and the Netherlands to enhance their ICCs’ standing without extensive legislative changes. More broadly, this study highlights the mismatch between normative assumptions and practical outcomes in dispute resolution, emphasizing the need to align theoretical benchmarks with intrinsic values and real-world dynamics of the field. Universit
Brake Disk Modal Analysis for Suspended Monorail Vehicle
No full textVibration during disk brake process will generate brake noise and uneven contacting between brake pad and brake disk, so it is important for analysis the whole disk brake system’s performance to research the vibration characteristics of the brake disk. Based on the Japan Chiba Prefecture type 0 suspended monorail vehicle, the solid model of brake disk and brake pad was established, and a finite element analysis of free modal and constrained modal was taken out, and the preceding eight natural frequencies was obtained. Based above, the vibration characteristic of both brake disk and brake pad was analyzed, which provided the theoretical basis of brake system’s optimal design
Fingerprinting the ship propulsion system: low hanging fruit or mission impossible?
No full textIn this paper the concept of ship propulsion system “fingerprinting” is explored as an alternative for data driven models that require extensive measured datasets collected over long periods of ship operation. As a first exploratory step a model of a ship in bollard pull conditions is linearised and its transfer functions are determined. Subsequently limited experimental data, involving sinusoidal excitation of the system input at a wide range of frequencies, is used to determine the system parameters. The resulting parameter estimates compare well against previously determined values. Although the developed ideas are far from ready to be used on full scale, the authors believe that the approach is promising enough to be developed further towards full scale application.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Ship Design, Production and Operation
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