Effects of aerial strip spraying on mixedwood stand structure and tree growth

2014 ◽  
Vol 90 (04) ◽  
pp. 479-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Comeau

Herbicide application in strips offers a cost-effective way to accelerate spruce growth in young mixedwood stands, while also retaining the mixedwood character of the stand. In June of 2006 data were collected to evaluate the effects of aerial strip spraying on subsequent growth of treated stands. These blocks had been planted in 1991 and treated in 2000 with Triclopyr ester herbicide applied in strips. Treated and untreated strips averaged 5.8 m and 8.4 m in width, respectively, with 38% of the block area being effectively treated. In 2006 aspen density, DBH, and height were significantly lower in the treated strips compared to either untreated strips or completely untreated blocks. Spruce growth was significantly larger in treated strips with diameter growth responses beginning in the first and height growth responses in the second growing season following treatment. Yield estimates from the Mixedwood Growth Model (MGM) indicate that the strip spray treatments result in the highest spruce yields. However, when understory protection (harvesting aspen at age 70 and spruce at 120) is applied, the untreated blocks provided higher total yield and net present value.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5056
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Mączka ◽  
Halina Pawlak-Kruczek ◽  
Lukasz Niedzwiecki ◽  
Edward Ziaja ◽  
Artur Chorążyczewski

Due to the increasing installed power of the intermittent renewable energy sources in the European Union, increasing the operation flexibility of the generating units in the system is necessary. This is particularly important for systems with relatively large installed power of wind and solar. Plasma technologies can be used for that purpose. Nonetheless, the wide implementation of such technology should be economically justified. This paper shows that the use of plasma systems for increasing the flexibility of power units can be economically feasible, based on the results of a net present value analysis. The cost of the installation itself had a marginal effect on the results of the net present value analysis. Based on the performed analysis, the ability to lower the technical minimum of the power unit and the relationship between such a technical minimum and the installed power of a plasma system can be considered decisive factors influencing the economics of the investment for such an installation. Further research on better means of prediction of the minimum attainable load, which would allow determining the influence of implementation of a plasma system, is recommended. This will be the decisive factor behind future decisions regarding investing in such systems.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin How Ho ◽  
Azlan Abd. Rahman

Artikel ini membincangkan kajian ringkas berkaitan analisis kos kitaran hayat terhadap langkah-langkah pembaikan pengaratan bagi jambatan dan struktur marin konkrit yang terdedah kepada karbonasi atau serangan natrium klorida daripada air laut atau sumber-sumber lain. Perisian kos kitaran hayat, Bridge LCC 2.0 digunakan untuk menjalankan analisi kitaran hayat untuk tiga kes kajian melibatkan kaedah nilai bersih kini. Keputusan kajian menunjukkan analisis kos kitaran hayat berkeupayaan untuk membantu jurutera dan agensi pengangkutan dalam menilai keputusan penyelenggaraan yang efektif berkaitan dengan masalah pengaratan. Ia boleh digunakan sebagai alat analisis ekonomi kejuruteraan yang membantu mantaksir kos-kos perbezaan dan membuat pilihan terhadap langkah pembaikan pengaratan yang berkesan. Analisis kos kitaran hayat bagi langkah pembaikan dipengaruhi oleh banyak pemboleh ubah seperti kos permulaan, kos penyelenggaraan, tahun kekerapan, dan jangka masa analisis. Amalan terbaik untuk analisis kos kitaran hayat bukan sahaja mengambil kira perbelanjaan oleh agensi, tetapi perlu mempertimbangkan kos-kos oleh pengguna dan analisis sensitiviti di sepanjang jangka hayat sesuatu langkah pembaikan. Kata kunci: Analisis kos kitaran hayat, jambatan konkrit, pengaratan, langkah, pembaikan, pemulihan struktur, keberkesanan kos, kaedah nilai bersih kini (NPV) This paper discusses a short study on life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) on corrosion remedial measures for concrete bridges and marine structures, which are subjected to carbonation or ingress of sodium chloride from sea water and other sources. Life cycle costing software, Bridge LCC 2.0, was used to perform life cycle cost analyses on three case studies, based on net present value method. The analysis of the results showed that LCCA is capable of assisting engineers or transportation agencies to evaluate optimum maintenance decisions in corrosion–related problems. It can be used as an engineering economic analysis tool that helps in qualifying the differential costs and choosing the most cost–effective corrosion remedial measures. Life cycle costs for the remedial measures are influenced by many costing variables such as initial costs, periodic maintenance costs, frequency years and analysis period. The best practice of LCCA should not only consider agency expenditures but also user costs and sensitivity analysis throughout the service life of a remedial measure. Key words: Life cycle analysis, concrete bridges, corrosion, remedial measures, structural rehabilitation, cost-effective, net present value method (NPV)


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Verteramo Chiu ◽  
L. W. Tauer ◽  
Y.T. Gröhn ◽  
R. L. Smith

ABSTRACTThe benefits and efficacy of control programs for herds infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) have been investigated under various contexts. However, most previous research investigated paratuberculosis control programs in isolation, without modeling the potential association with other dairy diseases. This paper evaluated the benefits of MAP control programs when the herd is also affected by mastitis, a common disease causing the largest losses in dairy production. The effect of typically suggested MAP controls were estimated under the assumption that MAP infection increased the rate of clinical mastitis. We evaluated one hundred twenty three control strategies comprising various combinations of testing, culling, and hygiene, and found that the association of paratuberculosis with mastitis alters the ranking of specific MAP control programs, but only slightly alters the cost-effectiveness of particular MAP control components, as measured by the distribution of net present value of a representative U.S. dairy operation. In particular, although testing and culling for MAP resulted in a reduction in MAP incidence, that control led to lower net present value (NPV) per cow. When testing was used, ELISA was more cost-effective than alternative testing regimes, especially if mastitis was explicitly modeled as more likely in MAP-infected animals, but ELISA testing was only significantly associated with higher NPV if mastitis was not included in the model at all. Additional hygiene was associated with a lower NPV per cow, although it lowered MAP prevalence. Overall, the addition of an increased risk of mastitis in MAP-infected animals did not change model recommendations as much as failing to consider mastitis at all.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-123
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Henry ◽  
Kenton B. Watkins ◽  
Ranjitsinh U. Mane ◽  
Gregory L. Stark

Abstract. Vertical hollow shaft motors are commonly used for vertical turbine pumps for irrigation. They are a specialty motor which has been exempt from the Department of Energy (DOE) requirement for improved energy efficiency. We evaluated the payback and net present value (NPV) of standard efficiency, energy efficient, and premium efficiency motors for motor sizes used in irrigation. For motor sizes between 22 and 56 kW (30 and 75 hp), the NPV and payback analysis indicated that premium efficient motors are more advantageous than standard efficiency. In motor sizes greater than 75 kW (100 hp) standard efficient motors are more cost effective than replacing a motor with a premium efficiency motor. When considering a repair or rewind of a motor, the result is highly dependent on the quality, and the resulting efficiency expected after the repair. If a repaired motor nameplate efficiency could be attained after rewinding and repair, then rewinding is most cost effective. However, if original nameplate efficiency is not attained, then it may be more cost effective to purchase a premium efficiency motor over rewinding. New DOE requirements may be advantageous for irrigators even though capital costs will be higher for new motors. Keywords: Motor rewind, Net present value (NPV), Payback period, Premium efficiency motor.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anssi Ahtikoski ◽  
Jouni Siipilehto ◽  
Hannu Salminen ◽  
Mika Lehtonen ◽  
Jari Hynynen

This study presents an attempt to discover the effect of sample size on the financial outcome derived by stand-level optimization with individual tree modeling. The initial stand structure was altered to reflect sparse, average, and dense Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands. The stands had varying numbers of stems but identical weighted median diameters and stand basal areas. The hypothetical Weibull diameter distributions were solved according to the parameter recovery method. The trees were systematically sampled with respect to the tree basal area corresponding to sample sizes of 10, 20, or 40 trees. We optimized the stand management with varying numbers of sample trees and with varying stand structures and compared the optimal solutions with respect to the objective function value (maximum net present value) and underlying management schedule. The results for the pine stands in southern and central Finland indicated that the variations in the objective function value relating to sample size were minor (<2.6%) in the sparse and average stand densities but exceeded 3% in the dense stands. Generally, the stand density is not always known, and thus, we may need to generalize the average density for all cases in question. This assumption, however, resulted in overestimations with respect to the optimal rotation period and financial performance in this study. The overestimations in the net present value decreased along with the increasing sample size, from 22% to 14% in the sample sizes of 10 and 40 trees, respectively.


SURG Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-65
Author(s):  
Nigel Gale ◽  
Janelle Trant ◽  
Thomas Schiks ◽  
Jake L'Ecuyer ◽  
Christopher Jackson ◽  
...  

Afforestation, the establishment of trees in areas that have not been forested for at least 50 years, is one possible approach for carbon (C) sequestration to mitigate climate change. This study compares the costs and benefits of afforestation as a carbon sequestration strategy for Eden Mills, a village within Wellington County, Ontario, Canada aiming to achieve C neutrality. We provide net present value analyses for three potential planting schemes under subsidized and unsubsidized financial scenarios that aim to sequester 2012 tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) using traditional and novel calculations of C sequestration rates. We present the total project costs, the optimal price of C, and the potential for afforestation as a C sequestration tool in southern Ontario. Planting schemes employ mixtures of tree species common to the region. Unsubsidized schemes are projected to cost between $617,976-$1,499,904 (CAD) with the optimal price of CO2 between $6.15-$14.91 per tonne of C sequestered. A deciduous-dominated planting scheme requiring 24 hectares of land resulted in the lowest cost for all scenarios. Our analyses suggest that: 1) fast-growing tree species make afforestation projects more cost-effective, reducing costs by 29-59%; and 2) land management subsidies available to the region reduce costs by approximately 10%. Future cost-benefit analyses for afforestation projects should consider site-specific C sequestration rates and parameter sensitivity analysis when quantifying C absorption. Keywords: greenhouse gases; carbon sequestration; afforestation; cost-benefit analysis; net present value


2010 ◽  
pp. 81-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Keca

The commercial cost-effectiveness of poplar cultivation was analyzed based on the indicator for the assessment of agriculture and forestry projects-net present value (NPV). The analysis was made for the plantations of poplar clone I-214 in the area of Ravni Srem, under different rotations and on different soil types. The aim of the research was to assess the cost-effectiveness of the invested financials in wood production in poplar plantations, based on the analysis of costs and receipts in different periods of plantation age, using the net present value method. Under the calculation discount rate of 12%, the project for the production cycle of 24-42 years was not cost-effective from the economic aspect. Investment under calculation discount rate 4% was financially justified in all the study cases. The discount rate of 6% can be accepted by shorter production cycles in the younger stands (to the age of 28 years) on better sites (alluvial semigley). In the case of susceptibility analysis for NPV, it can be concluded that the NPV amounts for 13 study compartments within the analyzed scope of receipts and costs have a negative sign. This leads to a conclusion that the project is more susceptible to the changes in costs than to the changes in receipts in the concrete case at the discount rate of 12%.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2868
Author(s):  
Maaike Braat ◽  
Odysseas Tsafarakis ◽  
Ioannis Lampropoulos ◽  
Joris Besseling ◽  
Wilfried G. J. H. M. van Sark

In many areas in the world, the high voltage (HV) electricity grid is saturated, which makes it difficult to accommodate additional solar photovoltaic (PV) systems connection requests. In this paper, different scenarios to increase the installed PV capacity in a saturated grid are assessed on the basis of the net present value (NPV). The developed scenarios compare an increase of grid capacity, PV system azimuth variation, curtailment, and battery storage. For each scenario the net present value (NPV) is assessed using an optimization model as a function of the overbuild capacity factor, which is defined as the relative amount of PV capacity added beyond the available capacity. The scenarios are applied on a case study of the Netherlands, and the analysis shows that, by optimising curtailment, a PV system’s capacity can be increased to 120% overbuild capacity. For larger overbuild capacity investments in the electricity-grid are preferred when these costs are taken into account. However, the optimum NPV lies at 40% overbuild, thus the societal and NPV optimum are not always aligned. Furthermore, the use of a battery system as an alternative to an infrastructure upgrade was not found to be a cost-effective solution. Thus, applying curtailment could be cost-efficient to a certain extent to allow for additional PV capacity to be connected to a saturated grid. Furthermore, the inverter size compared to the installed PV capacity should be significantly reduced. For a connection request that exceeds 120% overbuild increasing network capacity should be considered.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30
Author(s):  
Muhammad Jamil ◽  
Januari Frizki Bella

Adapun tujuan dari Penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kelayakan usaha industri pengolahan kecap Aneka Guna apabila dilihat dari segi kelayakan finansial. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode studi kasus. Lokasi penelitian yaitu di Kota Langsa dengan pertimbangan bahwa lokasi tersebut merupakan daerah yang terdapat industri pengolahan kecap asin dan mudah di jangkau oleh penulis. Waktu penelitian dilaksanakan pada Bulan Juni - Oktober 2014. Tenaga kerja yang digunakan berjumlah 27 orang, 20 tenaga kerja pria dan 7 orang tenaga kerja wanita. Jumlah penggunaan tenaga kerja selama 5 tahun sebesar 3759 HKP. Total biaya produksi yang dikeluarkan oleh pengusaha dalam usaha pembuatan kecap didaerah penelitian selama 5 tahun adalah Rp. 2.076.988.000,-. Pendapatan kotor yang diperoleh pengusaha sebesar Rp. 8.199.690.000,- dan pendapan bersih yang diperoleh sebesar Rp. 6.122.702.000,-                 Kota Langsa hanya memiliki 1 pengusaha pengolahan kecap asin dan dijadikan sebagai pengusaha sampel yaitu usaha industri pengolahan kecap asin Aneka Guna. Hasil perhitungan di peroleh Net Present Value (NPV) sebesar Rp. 263.281.290 (lebih besar dari nol), sedangkan Internal Rate of Return (IRR) sebesar 84% lebih besar dari tingkat bunga yang berlaku (D.F. = 18%), sedangkan Net B/C Ratio sebesar 3,27 (lebih dari pada 1) dan Pay Back Priod (PBP) 1 Tahun 6 Bulan (lebih kecil dari umur ekonomis).  


Author(s):  
Ainārs GRĪNVALDS

The stand selection for cutting in tactical planning should be done according to the same principles like in strategic planning – to maximize net present value. The simple way of how to transfer the net present value maximization principle from strategic planning to tactical planning was created in Sweden. The method is based on annual changes in the net present value by postponing final felling. Forest inventory data and forestry modelling system was used for calculation of changes in net present value for pine, spruce, birch, aspen and black alder stands. And changes in net present value were described by regression function with factors from stand parameters. The regression function allows calculating annual changes in net present value for each stand. And stands with higher decrease in net present value have higher cutting priority. Stands selected for the final felling in strategic plan were compared with the stands selected in tactical plan with two methods, first, by using annual changes in the net present value, second, by traditional planning principles. Stands selected by annual changes in the net present value were similar to stands that were selected for cutting in strategic plan, but stands selected by traditional planning principles – not.


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