How can occupancy modeling and occupancy sensors reduce energy usage in academic buildings: An application approach to University of San Francisco

Buildings are amongst the highest energy consumers relative to industry and transportation. They account for 40% of the world’s energy consumption, due to the need for lighting, equipment, heating, cooling and ventilation. Academic buildings are multi-purpose buildings that create a challenge on energy reduction. Most are old and have fixed occupancy schedules, resulting in high energy consumption because these buildings experience significant occupancy variation throughout the day. Five academic buildings were analyzed; their building information, energy consumption data and methods to project energy savings have been analyzed. The case studies presented different strategies on predicting energy savings, but these have been deduced to their commonalities: the black box, white box and grey box models. The black box is a data driven approach, the white box is a physics based approach and the grey box is a hybrid between the black box and the white box. Control strategies include the usage of occupancy sensors to ensure building energy usage is directly proportional to building occupancy density and that the energy is not wasted on an empty building. An application approach to University of San Francisco was also developed. The active energy retrofits for University of San Francisco have been mentioned and explored by following the black box, white box and grey box model methodology. Findings from the case studies discovered that occupant behavior can be a barrier to energy reduction as occupants are driven by maintaining personal comfort and are usually detached to energy usage consequences. For this matter awareness campaigns such as surveys and educational campaigns need to be implemented to help achieve higher building efficiency and thus lower energy consumption. If all academic buildings in the United States committed to a 5% energy reduction, then over 2 billion kWh could be saved annually

Supporting User Understanding and Engagement in Designing Intelligent Systems for the Home.

With advances in computing, networking and sensing technology, our everyday objects have become more automated, connected, and intelligent. This dissertation aims to inform the design and implementation of future intelligent systems and devices. To do so, this dissertation presents three studies that investigated user interaction with and experience of intelligent systems. In particular, we look at intelligent technologies that employ sensing technology and machine learning algorithm to perceive and respond to user behavior, and that support energy savings in the home. We first investigated how people understand and use an intelligent thermostat in their everyday homes to identify problems and challenges that users encounter. Subsequently, we examined the opportunities and challenges for intelligent systems that aimed to save energy, by comparing how people’s interaction changed between conventional and smart thermostats as well as how interaction with smart thermostats changed over time. These two qualitative studies led us to the third study. In the final study, we evaluated a smart thermostat that offered a new approach to the management of thermostat schedule in a field deployment, exploring effective ways to define roles for intelligent systems and their users in achieving their mutual goals of energy savings. Based on findings from these studies, this dissertation argues that supporting user understanding and user control of intelligent systems for the home is critical allowing users to intervene effectively when the system does not work as desired. In addition, sustaining user engagement with the system over time is essential for the system to obtain necessary user input and feedback that help improve the system performance and achieve user goals. Informed by findings and insights from the studies, we identify design challenges and strategies in designing end-user interaction with intelligent technologies for the home: making system behaviors intuitive and intelligible; maintaining long-term, easy user engagement over time; and balancing interplay between user control and system autonomy to better achieve their mutual goals.PhDInformationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133318/1/rayang_1.pd

Modeling Anthropogenic Disturbance of Wildlife

Anthropogenic disturbance of wildlife refers to a broad range of non-lethal human activities that can impact animal behavior during critical life functions resulting in reduced fitness for those animals. Human disturbance of wildlife can take the form of recreation, resource extraction, noise, and infrastructure development. Animals perceive human presence on the landscape as a predation risk and thus exhibit behaviors such as vigilance, flight, alter their habitat selection, and show signs of stress in response. In this dissertation, we use several different modeling techniques using diverse data types to address the consequences of human disturbance on wildlife species. First, we use an individual-based modeling framework to assess the effectiveness of management strategies on mitigating human recreation disturbance to nesting golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). We found that trail density and level of anthropogenic disturbance both impacted the effectiveness of proposed trail closure strategies. Second, we describe the addition of population-level functionality to an established individual-based modeling framework used to investigate human disturbance on wildlife. Through a case study looking at road traffic impacts on Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis), we show that integrating a population-level component provides new insights into these systems and explicitly connects behavior change to reduced fitness. Third, we use informative priors in Bayesian hierarchical occupancy modeling framework to assess density-dependent habitat selection in three declining bat species of Indiana. Use of informative priors improved model accuracy and precision along with providing insights into the habitat selection choices of Midwestern bats as their populations decline due to white-nose syndrome. Finally, we use survey data and structural equation modeling to assess whether consultant foresters intend to manage private forestlands in accordance with federal guidelines for the endangered Indiana bat. We found that despite a relative lack of knowledge of the guidelines, foresters do not generally believe the guidelines contribute to the conservation of the Indiana bat. However, in foresters that did intend to manage in accordance with the guidelines, we found evidence their management decisions retained or created forest structural elements important for Indiana bats. This allowed us to target extension strategies to improve management on private forest lands for the benefit of endangered bats

Leadership considerations for executive vice chairs, new chairs, and chairs in the 21st century.

The need to fulfill academic goals in the context of significant economic challenges, new regulatory requirements, and ever-changing expectations for leadership requires continuous adaptation. This paper serves as an educational resource for emerging leaders from the literature, national leaders, and other “best practices” in the following domains: 1. Mentorship; 2. Faculty Development; 3. Promotion; 4. Demonstrating value in each of the academic missions; 5. Marketing and communications; and 6. Barrier

December 2012

News and Features The End of Marketing As We Know It A number of studies are showing that people no longer pay much attention to traditional marketing as they progress through the “buyer’s decision journey” says Bill Lee. . . 7 E-Commerce Business Stand to Lose More Without Asset Protection Find out what differentiates commerce businesses from traditional businesses when it comes to asset protection. . . . . . . . . 9 Duct Tape My Software and Hope for the Best? A redesign of a website is simply a repackaging. There can be only a handful of reasons to even entertain the thought of it—and Joe Thomas gives us a handful of some of these reasons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 No Money, No Problem: Eleven Tips for a Start-up Business With Very Little Cash (and a Great Idea) You have a new start-up and got a winning idea, but you have one problem—lack of funding. Michael Houlihan gives us some bootstrapping strategies that worked for him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Ways to Manage High and Low Performers As a manager, CEO or business owner, how do you identify the employees you should focus on, and how can you make the most of your lower performers? Dr. Marty Martin gives us some good lessons in helping acceptable performers move into the ranks of high performers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Columns Marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 18 & 19 Investments and Finance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Asset Protection in Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Web and Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 & 17 Financial Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Real Estate Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 New Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Lists: Business Brokerage Firms Serving the Inland Empire . . . 25 Restaurant Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Manager’s Bookshelf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 New Business Lists: County of San Bernardino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 County of Riverside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Executive Time Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Screening of energy efficient technologies for industrial buildings' retrofit

This chapter discusses screening of energy efficient technologies for industrial buildings' retrofit

Governance in health care delivery : raising performance

The impacts of health care investments in developing and transition countries are typically measured by inputs and general health outcomes. Missing from the health agenda are measures of performance that reflect whether health systems are meeting their objectives; public resources are being used appropriately; and the priorities of governments are being implemented. This paper suggests that good governance is central to raising performance in health care delivery. Crucial to high performance are standards, information, incentives and accountability. This paper provides a definition of good governance in health and a framework for thinking about governance issues as a way of improving performance in the health sector. Performance indicators that offer the potential for tracking relative health performance are proposed, and provide the context for the discussion of good governance in health service delivery in the areas of budget and resource management, individual provider performance, health facility performance, informal payments, and corruption perceptions. What we do and do not know about effective solutions to advance good governance and performance in health is presented for each area, drawing on existing research and documented experiences.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Health Systems Development&Reform,Public Sector Expenditure Policy,Health Economics&Finance,Health Law

Energy Harvesting for Residential Microgrid Distributed Sensor Systems

Microgrids are localized, independent power grids that can operate while connected to the larger electrical grid. These systems make intelligent decisions regarding power management and use an array of components to monitor power generation, consumption, and environmental conditions. While this technology can save end users money, the complexity of installation and maintenance has limited the adoption of microgrids in residential spaces. To simplify this technology for end users, the next evolution of microgrid components includes sensors that are wireless and ambiently powered. Even with a microgrid installed, significant energy is wasted in residential spaces. To address this loss, energy harvesting circuits can be incorporated into microgrid sensors, enabling them to recapture otherwise wasted environmental energy. Light, heat, radio frequency (RF) energy, mechanical energy, and 60 Hz noise from power lines are all abundant in most residential spaces and can be harvested to power microgrid components. Equipping microgrid sensors with energy harvesters simplifies the end user experience by eliminating the need for cable routing. Implementing energy harvesting techniques results in a microgrid that is easier to deploy, cleaner, and requires less maintenance. Developing this type of sensor is not only feasible, but sensible and can be constructed using off-the-shelf components. My research led me to conclude that the most effective strategy for designing an energy harvesting sensor is to combine energy harvesting technologies with battery power. By delegating smaller loads away from the harvesting integrated circuit (IC), its full harvesting potential is utilized, maximizing energy collection for the power-hungry transmitter. Simultaneously, a small coin-cell battery can sustain the remaining components, ensuring over a decade of functionality. This thesis explores the feasibility and design of a hybrid battery and energy harvesting sensor. The developed system block diagram allows for the swapping of components within each block, catering to the varying needs of the end user. The system is data and energy-aware, allowing it to make intelligent decisions regarding data transmission and enable communication as reliable as that of a traditional wire-line powered sensor. The hybrid sensor module underwent testing with a small monocrystalline solar cell as its energy source, delivering consistent power throughout the testing period. It accumulated surplus energy in a super capacitor storage unit, ensuring the system’s reliable operation even at night when the energy source was not available. While the tests utilized a photovoltaic (PV) cell, the design accommodates any energy harvesting source that can generate a minimum of 40 µW of power