The human being has a fundamental role in issues concerning scarcity of energy resources as well as in the success of technologies which favor the use of renewable sources, such as wind energy. But what does wind energy mean for people? What are the psychological meanings concerning this term? Aiming to answer these questions, the general objective of this dissertation was to identify and to analyze the knowledge about wind energy taking into account a network of psychological meanings. One hundred and ninety one (191) university students from Natal-RN participated in the study, being male the majority (53%); aged between 17 and 51 years old (M=23.3 years; SD=5.7). Participants responded to self reports using the Natural Semantic Networks (NSW) technique, as well as to several sociodemographic questions. The results showed a consistent, positive and useful general semantic network. In this semantic network, knowledge about wind energy was represented by words that correspond to the appeal of (pro) environmental stance (e.g., clean and nature), that evinced both the technological aspect (e.g., force) and the economic aspect (e.g., economy). Results from different groups were also analyzed. The first set of groups (non-environemental and environmental) was divided considering the course (e.g....

The recent development of Google Earth, an information service that provides imagery and three dimensional data depicting the entire Earth, provides an opportunity to use a new method of navigating information to save energy in the real world. Google Earth uses Keyhole Markup Language (KML) for modeling and storing geographic features and information for display in the Google Earth Client. This paper will analyze the potential of this novel and free geographic mapping service to reduce embodied energy of transportation in two ways. First, at the consumer level, Google Earth will be studied to map the automobile route that uses the least fuel and maintains vehicles at their individual maximum fuel efficiency velocities. The same analysis for single destination trips could be used to optimize fleet vehicle routes such as garbage or recycling collection trucks. The secondary benefit of ecological education will also be explored. Fuel used could be converted into monetary units based on the current price of gas, pollution/ greenhouse gas emissions, or ecological footprints to improve driving habits. Secondly, KML overlays will be analyzed for use of determining: i) raw material and products availability as a function of location, and ii) modes of transportation as a function of emissions. These overlays would enable manufacturers access to an easily navigable method to optimize the life cycle of their products by minimizing transportation embodied energy. The most efficient transportation methods and travel routes could be calculated. This same tool would be useful for architects to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating points for the green design of buildings. Overall...

Microchannel Plates (MCP) detectors are frequently used in space instrumentation for detecting a wide range of radiation and particles. The capability to detect non-thermal low energy neutral species is crucial for the ELENA (Emitted Low-Energy Neutral Atoms) sensor, which is part of the SERENA package (Search for Exospheric Refilling and Emitted Natural Abundances) on board the MPO spacecraft of the BepiColombo mission of ESA to Mercury, which is scheduled for launch in August 2015. ELENA is a Time of Flight (TOF) sensor, based on a novel concept using an ultra-sonic oscillating shutter (Start section) and MCP detector (Stop detector). The ELENA scientific objective is to monitor the emission of neutral atoms from the surface of Mercury by detecting energetic neutral atoms in the range 10 eV – 5 keV, within 76° FOV, perpendicular to the S/C orbital plane. The surface is scanned thanks to the spacecraft motion. In particular, processes of particle release from the surface will be investigated by identifying particles released via solar wind-induced ion sputtering (with energies > 1eV – < 100 eV) as well as energetic Hydrogen atoms, which are back-scattered solar wind protons, at energies of hundreds eV. MCP absolute detection efficiency for very low energy neutral atoms (E < 30 eV) is a crucial point for this investigation. At the MEFISTO facility of the University of Bern...

Private activity in energy showed mixed results in 2008, according to just-released data from the Private Participation in Infrastructure Project database. Although investment commitments to energy projects with private participation were down, they remained strong at the third highest level in 1990-2008. Activity in the first half of 2008 kept investment at a high level for the year. Investment slowed in the second half with the full onset of the financial crisis. The slowdown in the second half also led to a decline in the number of projects for the year. In 2008, 86 energy projects with private participation reached financial or contractual closure in 23 low- and middle-income countries. These involve investment commitments (hereafter, investment) of US$37.2 billion. Energy projects implemented in previous years had additional commitments of US$10.39 billion, bringing total investment in 2008 to US$47.5 billion. That represents a drop of 7 percent from the level reported in 2007. Lower payments to governments (such as concession or lease fees and divestiture revenues) account for the decline. By contrast...

We analyzed energy partitioning in short- and long-hydroperiod freshwater marsh ecosystems in the Florida Everglades by examining energy balance components (eddy covariance derived latent energy (LE) and sensible heat (H) flux). The study period included several wet and dry seasons and variable water levels, allowing us to gain better mechanistic information about the control of and changes in marsh hydroperiods. The annual length of inundation is ~5 months at the short-hydroperiod site (25°26′16.5″N, 80°35′40.68″W), whereas the long-hydroperiod site (25°33′6.72″N, 80°46′57.36″W) is inundated for ~12 months annually due to differences in elevation and exposure to surface flow. In the Everglades, surface fluxes feed back to wet season precipitation and affect the magnitude of seasonal change in water levels through water loss as LE (evapotranspiration (ET)). At both sites, annual precipitation was higher than ET (1304 versus 1008 at the short-hydroperiod site and 1207 versus 1115 mm yr−1 at the long-hydroperiod site), though there were seasonal differences in the ratio of ET:precipitation. Results also show that energy balance closure was within the range found at other wetland sites (60 to 80%) and was lower when sites were inundated (60 to 70%). Patterns in energy partitioning covaried with hydroperiods and climate...

Coughing and huffing have been shown to be effective airway clearance techniques and some authors have anecdotally reported that a huff requires less energy than a series of coughs commencing and finishing at the same lung volume. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the energy expenditure between periods of huffing and directed voluntary coughing commencing from the same initial lung volume in young asymptomatic subjects. Energy expenditure was measured using open-circuit indirect calorimetry equipment. Twenty-four non-smoking asymptomatic subjects (12 male, 12 female, aged 18-24 years), without any form of disease and within 10% of their predicted pulmonary function, completed the study. Energy expenditure was measured over three 10min, randomly ordered sessions of huffing, directed coughing and rest. The forced expiratory sessions comprised a single huff or double-barrel cough (both starting at total lung capacity) at the end of every two minutes. Each session was separated by a 5min washout period. No significant difference in energy expenditure was found between the huffing and directed coughing periods (mean difference 0.003 mL/kg/min (95% CI -0.160 to 0.114) and both produced significantly greater energy expenditure than rest (rest and huff mean difference 0.309 mL/kg/min (95% CI 0.080 to 0.549) and rest and cough mean difference 0.306 mL/kg/min (95% CI 0.074 to 0.508)). The suggested benefits of huffing versus coughing in terms of energy conservation are yet to be shown.; Edward Pontifex...

Objective - To determine the effect of a high-protein (HP) diet compared with a low-protein (LP) diet on weight loss, resting energy expenditure (REE), and the thermic effect of food (TEF) in subjects with type 2 diabetes during moderate energy restriction. Research design and methods - In this study, 26 obese subjects with type 2 diabetes consumed a HP (28% protein, 42% carbohydrate) or LP diet (16% protein, 55% carbohydrate) during 8 weeks of energy restriction (1,600 kcal/day) and 4 weeks of energy balance. Body weight and composition and REE were measured, and the TEF in response to a HP or LP meal was determined for 2 h, at weeks 0 and 12. Results - The mean weight loss was 4.6 ± 0.4 kg (P < 0.001), of which 4.5 ± 0.4 kg was fat (P < 0.001), with no effect of diet (P = 0.6). At both weeks 0 and 12, TEF was greater after the HP than after the LP meal (0.064 vs. 0.050 kcal · kcal-1 energy consumed · 2 h-1, respectively; overall diet effect, P = 0.003). REE and TEF were reduced similarly with each of the diets (time effects, P = 0.02 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions - In patients with type 2 diabetes, a low-fat diet with an increased protein-to-carbohydrate ratio does not significantly increase weight loss or blunt the fall in REE.; N.D. Luscombe...

1. Overview of energy production and use in Australia -- 2. Energy technologies and sustainable development -- 3. Energy, international environmental law, and sustainable development -- 4. Evaluating Australian government initiatives relating to energy, climate change, and the environment -- 5. Sustainable energy in the Australian electricity and gas sectors -- 6. State government initiatives relating to energy and the environment -- 7. A sustainable energy law future for Australia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the [¹⁴C]-sodium bicarbonate/urea technique to detect physical activity-induced increases in total energy expenditure in free-living healthy men. Thirteen healthy males aged 34.1 ± 11.7 yrs with body mass index 24.1 ± 3.1 kg/m2 were studied on three separate occasions, during which [¹⁴C]-bicarbonate was infused over 48-hours and urine was collected during the second 24-hours. On three separate occasions and in random order, subjects either remained sedentary, or performed a bout of physical activity on an electro-magnetically braked cycle ergometer sufficient to increase energy expenditure by 7% or 11% above predicted sedentary total energy expenditure. Urine samples were analyzed to evaluate the amount of [¹⁴C]-bicarbonate incorporated into urinary urea, thereby reflecting the amount of CO₂ produced per day, and upon conversion, the number of kilojoules of energy expended in 24-hours. All 13 subjects successfully completed the two physical activity treatments and there were no adverse events. As measured by the [¹⁴C]-urea assay, mean total energy expenditure values were not significantly different between sedentary activity (17902 ± 905 kJ/day), the physical activity treatment designed to increase TEE by 7% (17701 ± 594 kJ/day) and the physical activity treatment designed to increase TEE by 11% (18538 ± 485 kJ/day) (P=0.668). In conclusion...

BACKGROUND: The regulation of gastrointestinal function and energy intake by fatty acids depends on their chain length. Animal studies suggest that lauric acid (C12) may have more potent suppressive effects on energy intake than does oleic acid (C18). OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects of equicaloric loads of C12 and C18 on antropyloroduodenal (APD) motility, plasma concentrations of cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY (PYY), appetite, and energy intake. DESIGN: Thirteen healthy men (aged 20-46 y) were studied on 3 occasions in double-blind, randomized fashion. APD pressure waves, plasma hormones, and appetite perceptions were measured during 60-min intraduodenal infusions of 1) C12, 2) C18, or 3) 0.9% saline as control (rate: 4 mL/min; energy load for C12 and C18: 0.4 kcal/min); between 60 and 90 min, the subjects consumed a meal. Energy intake at a buffet meal was quantified. RESULTS: C12 and C18 both reduced antral (P < 0.001) and duodenal (P < 0.01) pressure waves and stimulated isolated pyloric pressure waves (P < 0.01) and plasma CCK (P < 0.001), with no differences between them. Although C12 and C18 both increased basal pyloric pressure (P < 0.05), C12 had a greater effect than did C18 (P < 0.01). In contrast, although both C12 and C18 increased plasma PYY (P < 0.001)...

Cell disruption is an essential step in the release of cellular contents but mechanical cell disruption processes are highly energy intensive. This energy requirement may become a critical issue for the sustainability of low valued commodities such as microalgal biofuels derived from extracted lipids. By the use of an atomic force microscope (AFM), this study evaluated the force and energy required to indent and disrupt individual cells of the marine microalga, Tetraselmis suecica. It was found that the force and energy required for the indentation and disruption varies according to the location of the cell with the average being 17.43 pJ. This amount is the equivalent of 673 J kg(-1) of the dry microalgal biomass. In comparison, the most energy efficient mechanical cell disruption process, hydrodynamic cavitation, has specific energy requirement that is approx. 5 orders of magnitude greater than that measured by AFM. The result clearly shows that existing mechanical cell disruption processes are highly energy inefficient and further research and innovation is required for sustainable microalgal biofuels production.; Andrew K. Lee, David M. Lewis, Peter J. Ashman

Elektronische Systeme spielen im täglichen Leben eine immer wichtigere Rolle. Insbesondere trifft dies für digitale eingebettete Systeme zu, die mikro- bzw. nanoelektronische Hardware-Komponenten integrieren, um bestimmte Funktionalitäten durch die Ausführung dedizierter Softwareprogramme zu erbringen. Eingebettete Hardware/Software-Systeme sind dadurch zum führenden Mittel für Innovationen und Wachstum in nahezu allen Anwendungsdomänen geworden, wobei insbesondere der Markt für mobile elektronische Geräte in jüngster Vergangenheit enorme Zuwachsraten erfahren hat. Deren Energieversorgung ist aufgrund des limitierten Energiespeichers jedoch zu einem primären Problem und damit zu einem entscheidenden Wettbewerbskriterium im Markt geworden, da sie trotz strenger Anforderungen immer komplexere und zum Teil hochgradig vernetzte Aufgaben erfüllen müssen. Neben der Entwicklung neuer und effizienter Hardware-Plattformen ist deshalb die Entwicklung von Strategien zur Minimierung des Energieverbrauchs bzw. der Optimierung der Energieeffizienz durch gezielte Anwendung von Low-Power-Mechanismen ein entscheidender Faktor. In dieser Arbeit wird dargestellt, wie durch modellbasierte Analysen der auszuführenden Funktionalität eine applikationsspezifische Optimierung der Energieeffizienz unter Berücksichtigung der an das System gestellten Anforderungen und der zugrunde liegenden Hardware-Plattform bzw. durch Verwendung unterschiedlicher Betriebszustände dieser Zielarchitektur durchgeführt werden kann. Zunächst wird ein Algorithmus vorgestellt...

We are in desperate need of an EU Energy Policy. The facts are that, yes, there is indeed an EU Energy Policy. It is a policy based on a vision, a vision with three components. The policy is aiming for “markets, competition and efficiency”, it is equally focussing on “a sustainable energy economy”, and thirdly, it wants to “secure the EU’s energy supply”. Three objectives, three separate action lines. Balancing the three objectives in an integrated approach is challenging and difficult. To what extent is the market approach consistent with the other two policy packages? What impact does a climate package with tradable emission rights and non-tradable targets for green energy have on the market designs for gas and electricity? Are the necessary investments in new pipes and wires for securing our energy supplies sufficiently coming under the prevailing regulatory framework? Or, to put it differently; are we smart enough in the way in which we are making implementing steps in order to meet our stated objectives? Our paper ends with a proposed new vision and a set of 22 recommendations to the new European Commission.

Incentives for the development of renewable energy have increasingly become an instrument of climate policy, that is, as a means to reduce GHG emissions. This research analyzes the German experience in promoting renewable energy over the past decade to identify the ex post cost of reducing CO2 emissions through the promotion of renewable energy, specifically, wind and solar. To this propose, we calculated the annual CO2 abatement cost for the years 2006- 2010 as the ratio of the net cost over the CO2 emission reductions resulting from the use of renewable energy. The net cost is the sum of the costs and cost savings due to the injection of renewable energy into the electric power system. Results show that CO2 abatement cost of wind are relatively low, of the order of tens of Euro per tonne of CO2, while CO2 abatement cost of solar are very high, of the order of hundreds of Euro per tonne of CO2. CO2 abatement cost has changed considerably over the years due to variations of fossil fuels prices, carbon price and the amount of generated renewable energy.

The fields of economic development and energy policy and planning have converged in recent years to form an emerging discipline, which we term “energy-based economic development” (EBED). Despite the significant amount of stimulus funds, as well as state and local funding, that are being allocated to EBED initiatives in the United States, the emerging discipline has received scant attention in the energy, policy, and development literature. The link between energy and economic development in the literature is still theoretical, mostly focused on the need for and the potential benefits of EBED, and rarely applied. Furthermore, funding for EBED has outpaced understanding of the discipline, development of rigorous technical approaches, and meaningful ways to measure impact. Such information would not only help practitioners and policymakers more thoroughly understand the confines of the discipline and shape goals and approaches accordingly, but it would also help researchers identify, track, and evaluate a variety of activities in the field. With national and international attention focused on the convergence of these fields, researchers and practitioners have a rare opportunity to develop and implement the tools necessary to evaluate and communicate the potentially broader impacts that EBED may hold for society. If ways to leverage and sustain the injection of funds in this discipline are not identified...

RESUMEN: La energía, imprescindible en la sociedad actual, debe ser entendida como concepto científico, para después ser aplicada en los distintos contextos educativos. Su definición y sus formas, así como las unidades en las que se mide y las diferentes fuentes de energía deben relacionarse entre sí, permitiendo así comprender el fenómeno energético. Además, otros conceptos como el de trabajo y el de potencia están estrechamente ligados a la energía. A partir de los elementos teóricos y prácticos fundamentales es posible desarrollar una serie de elementos didácticos, en este caso para el cuarto curso de Educación Primaria, que sean aplicables en la escuela, para obtener así una sociedad informada y concienciada de la necesidad de hacer un uso responsable de la energía y de sus implicaciones.; ABSTRACT: Energy, which is essential for today´s society, must be understood from the scientific concept to be applied in school. The definition of energy, its forms, its measurements units and the different energy sources should be interconnected, allowing understand the energetic phenomenon. In addition, other concepts such as work and power are also very energy-related. From the fundamental theoretical and practical elements is possible to develop different didactic elements that can be applied in school. This is the only way to get an informed society which is convinced of responsible energy use and its implications; Grado en Magisterio en Educación Primaria

This paper investigates the role of energy on U.S. agricultural productivity using panel data at the state level for the period 1960-2004. We first provide a historical account of energy use in U.S. agriculture. To do this we rely on the Bennet cost indicator to study how the price and volume components of energy costs have developed over time. We then proceed to analyze the contribution of energy to productivity in U.S. agriculture employing the Bennet-Bowley productivity indicator. An important feature of the Bennet-Bowley indicator is its direct association with the change in (normalized) profits. Thus our study is also able to analyze the link between profitability and productivity in U.S. agriculture. Panel regression estimates indicate that energy prices have a negative effect on profitability in the U.S. agricultural sector. We also find that energy productivity has generally remained below total farm productivity following the 1973-1974 global energy crisis.

The high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) is a main drawback of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems. We propose a two-step technique to reduce the PAPR consisting of a metric-based constellation extension method, such as Simple Amplitude Predistortion (SAP) algorithm, aided by Orthogonal Pilot Sequences (OPS) in a previous step, where we also provide a low-complex implementation of OPS scheme. We show that our proposal, named OP-SAP, outperforms previous approaches in terms of PAPR reduction, due to joining the benefits of Orthogonal Pilots with SAP algorithm. Moreover, it is energy efficient within two aspects: transmitted energy and implementation energy. OP-SAP saves up to 57% of transmitted energy per predistorted symbol compared to SAP. Regarding implementation energy, PAPR reduction techniques introduce some additional computational complexity, which requires extra cycles in the processor that demand energy consumption. We present an exhaustive analysis on computational power cost that shows the low power consumption of OP-SAP compared to other methods as SeLected Mapping (SLM), what yields a remarkable energy saving in its practical implementation.; This work was supported in part by the Spanish National Projects GRE3N-SYST (TEC2011-29006-C03-03) and COMONSENS (CSD2008-00010)...

Há um cenário de agrave na indústria de energia elétrica no Brasil, por escassez de energia afluente na produção hídrica, exigindo maior acionamento térmico. Para o futuro, usinas predominantemente a fio dágua, que estão sendo inseridas, estarão pronunciando ainda mais essa necessidade. Por força da estruturação térmica, sobrarão mais emissões de gases de efeito estufa - GEEs e consumo de recursos fósseis por unidade de energia elétrica produzida. Este estudo visa testar a possibilidade de construção de um cenário futuro, eleito 2050, de fornecimento de energia elétrica no país, balizado na aceleração do uso das fontes renováveis, premissa postulada como alinhamento à busca de desenvolvimento sustentável para o país. É utilizada a pesquisa, análise e síntese, com abordagem sistêmica, e aplicação de indicadores eleitos fundamentais para alcance do objetivo. São sistematizados dados e informações existentes em diferentes tipos de documentos elaborados por autores e organizações nacionais e internacionais, e nos planos governamentais de expansão da produção de energia elétrica. A partir do referencial teórico metodológico adotado, os resultados obtidos demonstram que é possível estabelecer um planejamento de longo prazo baseado no uso renovável dos recursos de que o país dispõe...

MBA Professional Report; The purpose of this thesis is to conduct an analysis of the current composition of Ukrainian energy systems, analyze its dependence on Russian energy sources, explore alternatives to diversify the supply of fuel resources, and offer insights on the best possible solution for Ukraine. Currently, a substantial part of energy in Ukraine is produced with gas and oil supplied from Russia. A monopoly supplier might cause significant dependence of the domestic economy upon a foreign country. This might give the supplier country an opportunity to control and dictate. The Russian President and much of the political leadership did not support the most recent political developments in Ukraine (e.g., Presidential elections, "Orange Revolution"). Ukraine's political goals include development of closer cooperation with the EU, U.S. and NATO. This would not match Russian foreign policy interests towards former Soviet Republics. Economic influence by Russia could be used to influence Ukrainian foreign policy. The goals of this thesis are to show that the search for alternative sources of energy for Ukraine is a very important aspect for economic and political independence, and also to identify alternatives for the development of the Ukrainian energy market.; Ukrainian Air Force author