Use of Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) Construction for Energy Conservation in Residential Construction

Solar Energy ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Howard Arthur ◽  
Robert J. Ribando
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Computer Simulations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Construction Technique ◽  
Frame Building ◽  
Material Costs ◽  
Concrete Form

As a nation the United States must reduce its dependence on imported energy resources. Net imports of foreign oil as a percentage of total U.S. oil demand have increased from 37% in 1980 to 55% in 2001 and are predicted to increase to 65% by the year 2016. Since heating and air conditioning account for 44% of the energy usage in a typical U.S. home, residential energy conservation techniques hold great promise for significant savings. Insulated concrete form (ICF) construction is a promising construction technique for both residential and commercial construction. Some advantages of ICF construction include: reduced construction time, compatibility with any inside or outside surface finish, insect resistance, strength, noise reduction, reduced infiltration, significant and continuing energy savings, lower HVAC capital costs for the building, and 12” (30 cm) wide window sills. Disadvantages of ICF construction include: resistance from builders and sub-contractors unfamiliar with the construction technique, higher material costs, the necessary custom window and door openings, and the difficulty and expense of making changes once the walls are in place. Even though the material costs are higher than typical (stick-frame) construction, labor savings might result in overall savings. In this paper actual energy usage for an ICF house constructed in 1998 is compared to the energy usage for a 1988 conventional stick-frame building. Comparison of these two buildings indicates a 75% reduction in energy usage per square foot per degree-day for the ICF building when compared to the stick-frame building. During this same time period, energy (gas) usage for heating and hot water decreased 85%. Computer simulations were made for both an ICF wall and for a conventional frame wall. These computer simulations indicate significant saving potential for the ICF wall when compared to a conventional frame wall section. In addition these simulations illustrate dramatically the effect of separating the thermal resistance and thermal capacitance inherent in this “sandwich” construction.

Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Roy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Religious Congregations ◽  
Regional Dynamics ◽  
Second Intifada

Many in the United States and Israel believe that Hamas is nothing but a terrorist organization, and that its social sector serves merely to recruit new supporters for its violent agenda. Based on extensive fieldwork in the Gaza Strip and West Bank during the critical period of the Oslo peace process, this book shows how the social service activities sponsored by the Islamist group emphasized not political violence but rather community development and civic restoration. The book demonstrates how Islamic social institutions in Gaza and the West Bank advocated a moderate approach to change that valued order and stability, not disorder and instability; were less dogmatically Islamic than is often assumed; and served people who had a range of political outlooks and no history of acting collectively in support of radical Islam. These institutions attempted to create civic communities, not religious congregations. They reflected a deep commitment to stimulate a social, cultural, and moral renewal of the Muslim community, one couched not only—or even primarily—in religious terms. Vividly illustrating Hamas's unrecognized potential for moderation, accommodation, and change, the book also traces critical developments in Hamas' social and political sectors through the Second Intifada to today, and offers an assessment of the current, more adverse situation in the occupied territories. The Oslo period held great promise that has since been squandered. This book argues for more enlightened policies by the United States and Israel, ones that reflect Hamas' proven record of nonviolent community building. A new afterword discusses how Hamas has been affected by changing regional dynamics and by recent economic and political events in Gaza, including failed attempts at reconciliation with Fatah.

scholarly journals Comparative Study of the Properties of Wood Flour and Wood Pellets Manufactured from Secondary Processing Mill Residues

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2487
Author(s):  
Geeta Pokhrel ◽  
Yousoo Han ◽  
Douglas J. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Wood Flour ◽  
The United States ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Wood Pellets ◽  
Secondary Processing ◽  
Material Costs ◽  
Mill Residues

The generation of secondary processing mill residues from wood processing facilities is extensive in the United States. Wood flour can be manufactured utilizing these residues and an important application of wood flour is as a filler in the wood–plastic composites (WPCs). Scientific research on wood flour production from mill residues is limited. One of the greatest costs involved in the supply chain of WPCs manufacturing is the transportation cost. Wood flour, constrained by low bulk densities, is commonly transported by truck trailers without attaining allowable weight limits. Because of this, shipping costs often exceed the material costs, consequently increasing raw material costs for WPC manufacturers and the price of finished products. A bulk density study of wood flour (190–220 kg/m3) and wood pellets (700–750 kg/m3) shows that a tractor-trailer can carry more than three times the weight of pellets compared to flour. Thus, this study focuses on exploring the utilization of mill residues from four wood species in Maine to produce raw materials for manufacturing WPCs. Two types of raw materials for the manufacture of WPCs, i.e., wood flour and wood pellets, were produced and a study of their properties was performed. At the species level, red maple 40-mesh wood flour had the highest bulk density and lowest moisture content. Spruce-fir wood flour particles were the finest (dgw of 0.18 mm). For all species, the 18–40 wood flour mesh size possessed the highest aspect ratio. Similarly, on average, wood pellets manufactured from 40-mesh particles had a lower moisture content, higher bulk density, and better durability than the pellets from unsieved wood flour. Red maple pellets had the lowest moisture content (0.12%) and the highest bulk density (738 kg/m3). The results concluded that the processing of residues into wood flour and then into pellets reduced the moisture content by 76.8% and increased the bulk density by 747%. These material property parameters are an important attempt to provide information that can facilitate the more cost-efficient transport of wood residue feedstocks over longer distances.

scholarly journals Building Retrofit and Energy Conservation/Efficiency Review: A Techno-Environ-Economic Assessment of Heat Pump System Retrofit in Housing Stock

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 983
Author(s):  
Mustapha Mukhtar ◽  
Bismark Ameyaw ◽  
Nasser Yimen ◽  
Quixin Zhang ◽  
Olusola Bamisile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Commercial Buildings ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Pump System ◽  
Air Conditioners

The world has not been able to achieve minimum greenhouse gas emissions in buildings’ energy consumptions because the energy and emissions optimization techniques have not been fully utilized. Thermal comfort is one of the most important issues for both residential and commercial buildings. Out of the 40% of global energy consumed by buildings, a large fraction is used to maintain their thermal comfort. In this study, a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in building energy conservation and efficiency application is presented based on existing high-quality research papers. Additionally, the retrofit of the heating/cooling and hot water system for an entire community in Cyprus is presented. This study aims to analyze the technical and environmental benefits of replacing existing electric heaters for hot water with heat pump water heating systems and the use of heat pump air conditioners for thermal comfort in place of the existing ordinary air conditioners for space heating and cooling. One administrative building, 86 apartments (including residential and commercial) buildings, and a restaurant building is retrofitted, and the feasibility of the project is determined based on three economic indicators, namely; simple payback period (SPP), internal rate of return (IRR), and net present value (NPV). The electrical energy required by the hot water systems and the heating/cooling system is reduced by 263,564 kWh/yr and 144,825 kWh/yr, respectively. Additionally, the retrofit project will reduce Cyprus’ CO2 emission by 121,592.8 kg yearly. The SPP, IRR, and NPV for the project show that the retrofit is economically feasible.

Private Wealth, Philanthropy, and Social Development

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Barchi ◽  
Guosheng Deng ◽  
Chien-Chung Huang ◽  
Carolyn Isles ◽  
Juliann Vikse
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Charitable Giving ◽  
The United States ◽  
Educational Opportunities ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Income Gap ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Performance Based Funding ◽  
Opportunity Gaps

Growing income inequality has created excessive barriers to social mobility for the poor. Charitable giving by the wealthy can reduce the societal effects of the income gap by reinvestment in public goods such as education. We apply the cipp model to investigate the role of philanthropy in advancing educational opportunities in the United States and China, using historical and contemporary cases of individual philanthropists. The findings suggest that the cases reviewed in this study created mechanisms by which to contribute to social development in their respective countries. Government policies play a key role in philanthropic development, particularly in China. It is important to continue to foster a supportive environment for the sector to grow, which may include expanding tax incentives, emphasizing performance-based funding, and eliminating administrative barriers. In short, educational philanthropy holds great promise for reducing opportunity gaps and economic inequality, by providing the key to success for future generations.

scholarly journals Increasing STEM Transfer Readiness Among Underrepresented Minoritized Two-Year College Students: Examining Course-Taking Patterns, Experiences, and Interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Sansing-Helton ◽  
Gail Coover ◽  
Charles E. Benton
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Public College ◽  
Transfer Rates ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Transfer Success ◽  
Transfer Readiness

There is a strong need in the United States to increase the size and diversity of the domestic workforce trained in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). With almost half of all students that earn a baccalaureate degree enrolling in a 2-year public college at some point, the nation’s 2-year colleges provide great promise for improving the capacity of the STEM workforce for innovation and global competition while addressing the nation’s need for more equity between groups that have been historically included and those that have been economically and politically disenfranchized. Almost half of underrepresented minoritized (URM) students begin their post-secondary education at 2-year colleges yet their transfer rates within 5 years are only 16%. This study describes interventions put in place at a 2-year college to support increased transfer rates and STEM transfer readiness for URM STEM-interested students. The program studied, in place from 2017 through 2020, had an overall transfer rate of 45%. Analysis of administrative, transcript, and student survey data connects the program interventions to the existing research on STEM momentum and other research on URM STEM transfer success. Ultimately, this study identifies potential leading indicators of transfer readiness, providing much needed documentation and guidance on the efficacy and limitations of interventions to improve upward STEM transfer.

Using a satellite-aircraft hybrid system based on the same sensor to monitor oil and gas facilities for methane emissions

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Hanford J. Deglint ◽  
Warren D. Shaw ◽  
Jean-Francois Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid System ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
The World ◽  
Imaging Camera

Monitoring methane emissions from oil and gas facilities requires the combination of several technologies to gain a full understanding of the challenge at a manageable cost. The integration of frequent and affordable high resolution satellite measurements to find the larger leaks with less frequent, but more expensive, aerial surveys, forms the basis of a tiered monitoring system showing great promise to optimise leak detection and repair activities. In this extended abstract, examples of methane emissions measurements from controlled releases and at oil and gas facilities acquired with both GHGSat’s second satellite, Iris (launched in September 2020) and the airborne variant of the same sensor are presented. While the combination of different technologies is not uncommon, this system is the first in the world utilising the same sensor at two different altitudes. The performance parameters of each system are highlighted and supported with recent examples. In addition, the advantages of the hybrid system will be discussed, including the opportunity for cross-validation of measurements. Finally, the potential of such a system to be used for regulatory reporting purposes will be discussed and contrasted to the standard of performing optical gas imaging camera campaigns three times a year used in some jurisdictions, notably in Canada and the United States.

Henry R. Luce and the Security Ethos

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
William O. Walker
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cold War ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Society ◽  
Free World ◽  
Good Samaritan ◽  
American Century ◽  
Concrete Form ◽  
The World ◽  
The Cold War

The introduction shows how Henry R. Luce in his 1941 essay, “The American Century,” gave concrete form to the security ethos: the belief that, for its own safety, the United States should provide political and economic leadership and act as the indispensable Good Samaritan around the world. For Luce, longstanding fear of foreigners was unacceptable. The United States should heed a providential calling to serve as a beacon of hope for peoples everywhere. In practical terms, especially after 1945 as the Cold War took hold, U.S. officials acted to create a broadly-based free-world society in which modernization was possible. Success in this undertaking depended on whether they could establish credibility with those Washington presumed to lead.

Consumers’ Attitudes about Energy Conservation in Sweden, Canada, and the United States, with Implications for Policymakers

1982 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris T. Allen ◽  
Roger J. Calantone ◽  
Charles D. Schewe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Efficient Energy ◽  
Personal Involvement ◽  
Economic Rationale ◽  
Promotion Campaigns ◽  
Efficient Energy Use

Cross-cultural comparisons can prove helpful for pinpointing factors which underlie efficient energy use. This study examines differences in the attitudes of Swedes, Canadians, and Americans about energy conservation, as a vehicle for evaluating the energy policies of these nations. Although they are efficient energy users, the heavily regulated Swedes possess weaker perceptions of personal involvement and effectiveness with regard to their energy problems. Canadians seem to have a more realistic understanding of the energy situation, and are more sensitive to the economic rationale for conservation, possibly as a result of their government's conservation promotion campaigns. Implications of the findings for U.S. energy policy are discussed.

scholarly journals Analysis of Annual Energy Use Intensities (EUIs) by End-Use in Apartment Units According to Stratification Variables (2017 – 2018)

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 04013
Author(s):  
Hye-Sun Jin ◽  
Han-Young Lim ◽  
You-Jeong Kim ◽  
Soo-Jin Lee ◽  
Sung-Im Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Domestic Hot Water ◽  
Space Cooling ◽  
End Use

To achieve the goal of reducing greenhouses gases, many countries have recognized the importance of energy conservation in the building sector, and such countries are considerably strengthening their building energy conservation policies by reinforcing design standards, encouraging remodeling, and requiring zero-energy construction. In order to effectively strengthen these policies, it is necessary to provide information concerning energy consumption in the building sector to ensure the technical and economic feasibility of policies in the marketplace, and to allow building users and policy makers to easily access and understand energy consumption characteristics. It is important to provide information that allows people to effectively understand the state of energy consumption by end-use (space heating, space cooling, domestic hot water, etc.) as part of the creation of a concrete plan for energy reduction that incorporates various service systems and is familiar to people. This is because providing such information plays an important role in establishing concrete policies and encouraging voluntary energy performance improvements by building occupants. South Korea operates the Korea Energy Statistics Information System (KESIS) and the information provided by this type of information system consists mainly of energy consumption by energy source (electricity, gas, etc.), and such systems remain inadequate for providing effective information on energy consumption and energy use intensity (EUI) by end-use (space heating, space cooling, domestic hot water, etc.) as part of the creation of a concrete plan for energy conservation. In order to accurately provide energy consumption information by end-use rather than limit the information to mainly consumption corresponding to energy sources, in this study, measurement systems were installed in 2014 ~ 2016 based on the overall sampling designs of previous studies for apartment units, classifications, measurement and data gathering methods for energy consumption by end-use. The annual statistical values for EUI by end-use were collected from the measurement data for 71 sample apartment units from May 2017 to April 2018. This data was calculated and analyzed using stratification variable levels for completion year, supplied area, and the heat source type.

scholarly journals Two Threats to Precision Medicine Equity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supp) ◽  
pp. 629-640
Author(s):  
Dayna Bowen Matthew
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Precision Medicine ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Product ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
Legal Duty ◽  
Precision Medicine Initiative

In January 2015, President Barack Obama unveiled the “Precision Medicine Initiative,” a nationwide research effort to help bring an effective, preventive, and therapeutic approach to medicine. The purpose of the initiative is to bring a precise understanding of the genetic and environmental determi­nants of disease into clinical settings across the United States.1 The announcement was coupled with $216 million provided in the President’s proposed budget for a million-person national research cohort including public and private partnerships with academic medical centers, research­ers, foundations, privacy experts, medical ethicists, and medical product innovators. The Initiative promises to expand the use of precision medicine in cancer research and modernize regulatory approval processes for genome sequencing technologies. In response, Congress passed the 21st Century Cures Act in December 2016, authorizing a total of $1.5 billion over 10 years for the program.2 Although the Precision Medicine Initiative heralds great promise for the future of disease treatment and eradication, its implementation and development must be carefully guided to ensure that the millions of federal dollars expended will be spent equitably. This commentary discusses two key threats to the Precision Medicine Initia­tive’s ability to proceed in a manner consis­tent with the United States Constitutional requirement that the federal government shall not “deny to any person . . . the equal protection of the laws.”3 In short, this com­mentary sounds two cautionary notes, in order to advance precision medicine equity. First, achieving precision medicine equity will require scientists and clinicians to fulfill their intellectual, moral, and indeed legal duty to work against abusive uses of preci­sion medicine science to advance distorted views of racial group variation.Precision medicine scientists must decisively denounce and distinguish this Initiative from the pseudo-science of eugenics – the im­moral and deadly pseudo-science that gave racist and nationalist ideologies what Troy Duster called a “halo of legitimacy” during the first half of the 20th century.4 Second, to combat the social threat to precision medicine, scientists must incorporate a comprehensive, ecological understanding of the fundamental social and environ­mental determinants of health outcomes in all research. Only then will the Precision Medicine Initiative live up to its potential to improve and indeed transform health care delivery for all patients, regardless of race, color, or national origin.Ethn Dis: 2019;29(Suppl 3):629-640; doi:10.18865/ed.29.S3.629

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