Feasibility study of a standalone DC house: energy savings opportunities and capital costs assessment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Al-Subhi ◽  
I. El-Amin
Keyword(s):  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Capital Costs

Carbothermic Reduction Methods for Alumina

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthymios Balomenos ◽  
Dimitrios Gerogiorgis
Keyword(s):  
Carbothermic Reduction ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Industrial Process ◽  
Primary Aluminum ◽  
Aluminum Carbide ◽  
Aluminum Production ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Reduction Methods ◽  
The 19Th Century

The Hall–Héroult process for the electrolytic reduction of alumina was developed at the end of the 19th century and is still currently the only industrial process for the production of primary aluminum. Today, this process is ranked among the most energy- and CO2intensive industrial processes. Direct carbothermic reduction of alumina has been proposed as an alternative process, which can substantially improve the sustainability of primary aluminum production, leading to energy savings of up to 21% and reduction in greenhouse gas emission of up to 52%, while plant capital costs can be reduced up to 50%. However, processes developed so far suffer from low aluminum yields, primarily due to aluminum carbide and oxycarbide formation and aluminum vaporization phenomena. This article presents a thermodynamic study of the Al–C–O system and a review on the alumina carbothermic processes developed so far.

scholarly journals Feasibility study of the insulation of the enclosing walls of high-rise buildings

2018 ◽  
Vol 245 ◽  
pp. 06006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Gamayunova ◽  
Mikhail Petrichenko ◽  
Tatyana Musorina ◽  
Eliza Gumerova
Keyword(s):  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Payback Period ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
Optimum Thickness ◽  
Heating Period ◽  
Apartment Building ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Additional Layer

On the example of a typical residential multi-apartment building, a feasibility study was carried out on the choice of energy-saving measures for the thermal insulation of facades. The decision to increase the energy efficiency of the building was made on the basis of calculating the loss of thermal energy through the external walls. Based on the parameters of the heating period, capital costs for additional thermal insulation of facades and calculated values of operating costs for heating, the optimum thickness of the additional layer of insulation is determined, in which the payback period assumes a minimum value.

scholarly journals Environmental Footprint and Economics of a Full-Scale 3D-Printed House

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11978
Author(s):  
Hadeer Abdalla ◽  
Kazi Parvez Fattah ◽  
Mohamed Abdallah ◽  
Adil K. Tamimi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
3D Printed

3D printing, is a newly adopted technique in the construction sector with the aim to improve the economics and alleviate environmental impacts. This study assesses the eco-efficiency of 3D printing compared to conventional construction methods in large-scale structural fabrication. A single-storey 3D-printed house was selected in the United Arab Emirates to conduct the comparative assessment against traditional concrete construction. The life cycle assessment (LCA) framework is utilized to quantify the environmental loads of raw materials extraction and manufacturing, as well as energy consumption during construction and operation phases. The economics of the selected structural systems were investigated through life cycle costing analysis (LCCA), that included mainly the construction costs and energy savings. An eco-efficiency analysis was employed to aggregate the results of the LCA and LCCA into a single framework to aid in decision making by selecting the optimum and most eco-efficient alternative. The findings revealed that houses built using additive manufacturing and 3D printed materials were more environmentally favourable. The conventional construction method had higher impacts when compared to the 3D printing method with global warming potential of 1154.20 and 608.55 kg CO2 eq, non-carcinogenic toxicity 675.10 and 11.9 kg 1,4-DCB, and water consumption 233.35 and 183.95 m3, respectively. The 3D printed house was also found to be an economically viable option, with 78% reduction in the overall capital costs when compared to conventional construction methods. The combined environmental and economic results revealed that the overall process of the 3D-printed house had higher eco efficiency compared to concrete-based construction. The main results of the sensitivity analysis revealed that up to 90% of the environmental impacts in 3D printing mortars can be mitigated with decreasing cement ratios.

scholarly journals Energy and economy savings in the process of methanol synthesis unsig Pinch technology

2004 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 827-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjana Kijevcanin ◽  
Bojan Djordjevic ◽  
Ozren Ocic ◽  
Mladen Crnomarkovic ◽  
Maja Maric ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Methanol Synthesis ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Costs ◽  
Pinch Analysis ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Pinch Technology

A heat exchanger network (HEN) for the process of methanol synthesis has been studied by pinch design analysis. Great economic and energy savings were realized by the pinch analysis in comparison to the existing plant. Also, it was found that it is possible to reduce the requirements for the consumption of utilities. The HEN was reconstruded by adding new heat exchangers. In order to produce new HEN, the capital costs had to be increased, but the total cost trade-off between the capital and energy costs will be decrease by 30 %.

Economic Efficiency Of Implementation Of Lighting control In Public Buildings

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-25
Author(s):  
Alexander B. Myshonkov ◽  
Artem V. Atishev
Keyword(s):  
Energy Savings ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Average Energy ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Motion Sensors ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Lighting Control ◽  
The University

The article is devoted to the description of experimental studies of the possibility of increasing the energy efficiency of the lighting installation (LI) through the use of motion sensors. Data on possible energy savings are needed to conduct economic calculations – to estimate the payback period of capital costs for the implementation of a lighting control system (LCS). A quantitative and qualitative assessment of the economic feasibility of creating or developing an LCS is based on calculating and analyzing the costs required for its implementation and comparing the costs with the results obtained during its implementation. The results of the functioning of the LCS can be expressed by such a value as the percentage of possible energy savings, expressed in terms of the ratio of electricity consumption after the introduction of the LCS to the consumption of electricity before its implementation. In this work, this coefficient was determined experimentally. The experiment was carried out in public building – in the laboratory and educational building of the university. A corridor of one of the floors was chosen as the object of the study. For the research, a data collection system based on a digital microcontroller was used; infrared motion sensors were usedas presence sensors. The results of the experiment showed that the presence of people in the corridor varies during the day, by days of the week, from month to month. Studies have shown that, on average, energy savings when using motion sensors in the on / off mode of lamps is at least 50 %. With an increase in the delay time for turning off the luminaires after the motion sensor is triggered, the energy saving decreases from 66.5 % to 48.5 %. When using the standby lighting mode during the absence of people, the savings are reduced from 66.5 % (with the lamps turned off due to lack of movement) to 21.9 %.

Reducing the Risk of Natural Ventilation With Flexible Design

Solar Energy ◽  
2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara V. Greden ◽  
Leon R. Glicksman ◽  
Gabriel Lo´pez-Betanzos
Keyword(s):  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Flexible Design ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
The Impact

Performance uncertainty is a barrier to implementation of innovative technologies. This research investigates the potential of flexible design — one that enables future change — to improve the economic performance of a naturally ventilated building. The flexible design of the naturally ventilated building enables future installation of a mechanical cooling system by including features such as space for pipes and chillers. The benefits of the flexible design are energy savings, delay of capital costs and capability of mitigating the risk of a failed building (by installing the mechanical cooling system). To evaluate the flexible design, building energy simulation is conducted over a multi-year time period with stochastic outdoor temperature variables. One result is a probability distribution of the time when the maximum allowable indoor temperature under natural ventilation is exceeded, which may be “never.” Probability distributions are also obtained for energy savings and cost savings as compared to a mechanically cooled building. Together, these results allow decision-makers to evaluate the long-term performance risks and opportunities afforded by a flexible implementation strategy for natural ventilation. It is shown that the likelihood of future installation of mechanical cooling is most sensitive to design parameters. The impact of increased climate variability depends on the local climate. The probability of installing the mechanical system also depends on the comfort criteria. The results show that capital costs for cooling equipment are much greater than the present value of 10 years of cooling energy costs. This result motivates consideration of flexible design as opposed to hybrid cooling designs (which have immediate installation of mechanical cooling). Future work will study the impact of uncertain energy prices on investment attractiveness of naturally ventilated buildings. Other applications of the framework presented herein include replacing the building energy model with a model of another climate-dependent system, such as solar photovoltaic arrays.

Sludge digestion instead of aerobic stabilisation – a cost benefit analysis based on experiences in Germany

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 430-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Gretzschel ◽  
Theo G. Schmitt ◽  
Joachim Hansen ◽  
Klaus Siekmann ◽  
Jürgen Jakob
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Operation Costs ◽  
Break Even Point

As a consequence of a worldwide increase of energy costs, the efficient use of sewage sludge as a renewable energy resource must be considered, even for smaller wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with design capacities between 10,000 and 50,000 population equivalent (PE). To find the lower limit for an economical conversion of an aerobic stabilisation plant into an anaerobic stabilisation plant, we derived cost functions for specific capital costs and operating cost savings. With these tools, it is possible to evaluate if it would be promising to further investigate refitting aerobic plants into plants that produce biogas. By comparing capital costs with operation cost savings, a break-even point for process conversion could be determined. The break-even point varies depending on project specific constraints and assumptions related to future energy and operation costs and variable interest rates. A 5% increase of energy and operation costs leads to a cost efficient conversion for plants above 7,500 PE. A conversion of WWTPs results in different positive effects on energy generation and plant operations: increased efficiency, energy savings, and on-site renewable power generation by digester gas which can be used in the plant. Also, the optimisation of energy efficiency results in a reduction of primary energy consumption.

scholarly journals Energetic and Socioeconomic Justification for Solar-Powered Desalination Technology for Rural Indian Villages

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha C. Wright ◽  
Amos G. Winter
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Water Desalination ◽  
Solar Array ◽  
Salinity Range ◽  
Aesthetic Quality ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Desalination Technology ◽  
Solar Powered

This paper provides justification for solar-powered electrodialysis desalination systems for rural Indian villages. It is estimated that 11% of India’s 800 million people living in rural areas do not have access to an improved water source. If the source’s quality in regards to biological, chemical, or physical contaminants is also considered, this percentage is even higher. User interviews conducted by the authors and in literature reveal that users judge the quality of their water source based on its aesthetic quality (taste, odor, and temperature). Seventy-three percent of Indian villages rely on groundwater as their primary drinking supply. However, saline groundwater underlies approximately 60% of the land area in India. Desalination is necessary in order to improve the aesthetics of this water (by reducing salinity below the taste threshold) and remove contaminants that cause health risks. Both technical and socioeconomic factors were considered to identify the critical design requirements for inland water desalination in India. An off-grid power system is among those requirements due to the lack of grid access or intermittent supply, problems faced by half of Indian villages. The same regions in India that have high groundwater salinity also have the advantage of high solar potential, making solar a primary candidate. Within the salinity range of groundwater found in inland India, electrodialysis would substantially reduce the energy consumption to desalinate compared to reverse osmosis, which is the standard technology used for village-level systems. This energy savings leads to a smaller solar array required for electrodialysis systems, translating to reduced capital costs.

scholarly journals Displacing air conditioning in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An evaluation of ‘fabric first’ design integrated with hybrid night radiant and ground pipe cooling systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamil Hijazi ◽  
Stirling Howieson
Keyword(s):  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Reduce Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Cooling Loads

This paper presents an investigation into the viability of ‘fabric first’ intelligent architectural design measures, in combination with a hybrid cooling system.The specific aim is to displace air conditioning (AC) and reduce carbon dioxide, while maintaining thermal comfort, in a typical housing block in KSA. The results of thermal modelling and prototype field trials suggest that passive design measures combined with night radiant cooling and supply ventilation via ground pipes, can negate the requirement for a standard AC system. Such a strategy may also have a remarkably short payback period when energy savings, in use, are set against the additional capital costs associated with improved building fabric performance. Practical application: This study suggests that a significant proportion of AC cooling energy can be displaced by improving building fabric performance in combination with supply ventilation via ground pipes. As radiometer readings fell as low as 2.8℃ when the night sky is clear, roof-mounted high emissivity hydronic radiant panels can also provide a significant opportunity for additional heat flushing. In hybrid combination, these strategies have the potential to lower the carbon footprint of a typical housing block in KSA by over 80% and these measures and strategies will be equally applicable and cost-effective in all geographic regions of the world where cooling loads represent the predominant domestic energy use.

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