Evaluation of the impact of weather variability on a Net Zero Energy Building: advantage of sensitivity analysis for performance guarantee

Global sensitivity analysis associated with uncertainty analysis evaluates the robustness of a physical system and prioritises measurement and/or modelling efforts. The uncertainty analysis evaluates a confidence interval, whereas the sensitivity analysis quantifies the accountability of each uncertain input on the dispersion of the output. These statistical methods are usually used to account for the variability of the static inputs, which are constant regarding the evolution of the system, for example the physical properties of the materials modelled. Dynamic inputs however, i.e. parameters that are variable over time, are rarely taken into account in the statistical analyses because of the difficulty managing correlations between the inputs in stochastic methods. Yet, the system’s boundary conditions, such as meteorological input, are decisive for the evaluation of the behaviour of the building system. This paper aims at quantifying the influence of six meteorological variables as well as 39 static inputs on the dynamic thermal behaviour of a net zero energy building. To do so, a method that stochastically generates consistent meteorological data is used and is adapted to the purpose of global sensitivity analysis. The results show a high dispersion of the cooling requirements, for which the direct solar radiation, the albedo and the window solar factor can be held accountable. Thus the variability of solar resources and their interaction with the building have the greatest impact on the performance of the building. The variability of meteorological data needs to be considered to evaluate confidence intervals on energy performance. Furthermore, the impact of static parameters should not be overlooked, because their influence may remain significant. The considerable influence of the albedo and solar factor on the results of the present case study also shed light on the importance of assessing its value on site

Overview of methods used to evaluate the adequacy of nutrient intakes for individuals and populations

The objective of the present paper is to review the methods of measuring micronutrient intake adequacy for individuals and for populations in order to ascertain best practice. A systematic review was conducted to locate studies on the methodological aspects of measuring nutrient adequacy. The results showed that for individuals, qualitative methods (to find probability of adequacy) and quantitative methods (to find confidence of adequacy) have been proposed for micronutrients where there is enough data to set an average nutrient requirement (ANR). If micronutrients do not have ANR, an adequate intake (AI) is often defined and can be used to assess adequacy, provided the distribution of daily intake over a number of days is known. The probability of an individual's intake being excessive can also be compared with the upper level of safe intake and the confidence of this estimate determined in a similar way. At the population level, adequacy can be judged from the ANR using the probability approach or its short cut – the estimated average requirement cut-point method. If the micronutrient does not have an ANR, adequacy cannot be determined from the average intake and must be expressed differently. The upper level of safe intake can be used for populations in a similar way to that of individuals. All of the methodological studies reviewed were from the American continent and all used the methodology described in the Institute of Medicine publications. The present methodology should now be adapted for use in Europe

Value based performance reporting : a study of the information used by Australasian analysts in their assessment of long-term firm performance (value) : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Accounting, Massey University

Public company shareholders and potential investors rely on statutory and voluntary disclosures to enable an informed assessment of company performance and value. It is widely acknowledged that traditional historic accrual accounting measures do not offer a complete picture of firm performance, and that there is demand for an expanded set of performance indicators to service the needs of concerned stakeholders. The reliance on voluntary disclosure of company specific non-financial information is of particular concern to this thesis as the examination of existing literature displays evidence that such areas of performance are under-reported externally. With reference to a range of performance indicators that New Zealand and Australian Chartered Financial Analysts identify as relevant in their assessment of performance and value, this study identifies areas of performance that are under-reported by management and where information asymmetry is proposed to exist. The issue of under-reporting is assessed through gap analysis comparing the surveyed analysts ratings for the 'predictive value' (PV) measure of each performance item/indicator to the respective ratings for 'ease of acquisition' (EA). The study finds that analysts rely on a broad range of financial and non-financial information in their assessment of firm performance. More specifically the reporting of traditional financial information remains relevant and the extent of its provision is adequate, however the study finds that in many cases information not forming part of traditionally reported financial information has 'predictive value' relevance but is relatively more difficult to acquire. The thesis research findings therefore indicate that information reporting reliant on voluntary disclosure is at greater risk of being under-reported (externally). Such under-reporting has been found to be associated with non-financial information that relies on management identifying relevant company specific measures and subsequent voluntary disclosure. In an attempt to emphasise the importance of restoring the information balance between management and interested external parties (for performance assessment and valuation purposes), the thesis will include an exploration and discuss of literature on the benefits associated with full disclosure, along with potential means of identifying relevant measures for external reporting

Software reliability and dependability: a roadmap

Shifting the focus from software reliability to user-centred measures of dependability in complete software-based systems. Influencing design practice to facilitate dependability assessment. Propagating awareness of dependability issues and the use of existing, useful methods. Injecting some rigour in the use of process-related evidence for dependability assessment. Better understanding issues of diversity and variation as drivers of dependability. Bev Littlewood is founder-Director of the Centre for Software Reliability, and Professor of Software Engineering at City University, London. Prof Littlewood has worked for many years on problems associated with the modelling and evaluation of the dependability of software-based systems; he has published many papers in international journals and conference proceedings and has edited several books. Much of this work has been carried out in collaborative projects, including the successful EC-funded projects SHIP, PDCS, PDCS2, DeVa. He has been employed as a consultant t

Assessment of competitiveness of power generating companies through a riskbased approach: a case study of developing economies

The global financial crisis has shown that power companies are highly exposed to market risks. Market volatility creates competitive tension in the industry because the lack of the necessary methodological tools does not allow power companies to timely identify and measure the severity of emerging threats. Given the current situation, one of the major challenges in the industry is the creation of tools able to assist in the development of a strategy for improving the competitiveness of power companies. The article presents the authors’ risk-based approach to the assessment of industrial risks in the power sector. It assumes a certain level of long-term financial stability, investment attractiveness and, as a result, the competitiveness of the company. The aspects of practical application of the authors’ approach to the assessment of industrial risks are shown in examples of power companies

A prescriptive approach to qualify and quantify customer value for value-based requirements engineering

Recently, customer-based product development is becoming a popular paradigm. Customer expectations and needs can be identified and transformed into requirements for product design with the help of various methods and tools. However, in many cases, these models fail to focus on the perceived value that is crucial when customers make the decision of purchasing a product. In this paper, a prescriptive approach to support value-based requirements engineering (RE) is proposed, describing the foundations, procedures and initial applications in the context of RE for commercial aircraft. An integrated set of techniques, such as means-ends analysis, part-whole analysis and multi-attribute utility theory is introduced in order to understand customer values in depth and width. Technically, this enables identifying the implicit value, structuring logically collected statements of customer expectations and performing value modelling and simulation. Additionally, it helps to put in place a system to measure customer satisfaction that is derived from the proposed approach. The approach offers significant potential to develop effective value creation strategies for the development of new product

Information technology and urban green analysis

It is well recognized that green area plays a pivotal role in improving urban environment, such as preserving water and soil, controlling temperature and humidity of air, preventing pollution, flood prevention, functioning as buffers between incompatible land uses, preserving natural habitat, and providing space for recreation and relaxation. However, due to pressures from new development both in urban fringes and urban centres, urban green and open spaces are seen to be rapidly declining in term of allocated spaces and quality. Without careful urban land use planning, many open spaces will be filled with residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, there is a need for proper planning control to ensure that the provisions of green spaces are adequately being conserved for current and future generations. The need for an urban green information system is particularly important for strategic planning at macro level and local planning at the micro level. The advent of information technology has created an opportunity for the development of new approaches in preserving and monitoring the development of urban green and open spaces. This paper will discuss the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) incorporated with other data sources such as remote sensing images and aerial photographs in providing innovative and alternative solutions in the management and monitoring of urban green. GIS is widely accepted in urban landscape planning as it can provide better understanding on the spatial pattern and changes of land use in an area. This paper will primarily focus on digital database that are developed to assist in monitoring urban green and open spaces at regional and local context. The application of GIS in the Klang Valley region or better known as AGISwlk developed since mid-1990's is currently being used by various organisations in the region. The focus of AGISwlk is not merely in providing relevant database to its stakeholders but more importantly, assist in making specific and relevant decisions with regard to spatial planning. It is also used to monitor the loss of green areas by using several temporal data sets. The method of classifying green and open spaces in the region is also being discussed. This paper demonstrates that GIS can be an effective tool in preserving and monitoring green and open spaces in an urban area. The contribution of urban green digital database in someway may leads toward landscape sustainability as to satisfy the ever changing society