Integration of Legacy Appliances into Home Energy Management Systems

The progressive installation of renewable energy sources requires the coordination of energy consuming devices. At consumer level, this coordination can be done by a home energy management system (HEMS). Interoperability issues need to be solved among smart appliances as well as between smart and non-smart, i.e., legacy devices. We expect current standardization efforts to soon provide technologies to design smart appliances in order to cope with the current interoperability issues. Nevertheless, common electrical devices affect energy consumption significantly and therefore deserve consideration within energy management applications. This paper discusses the integration of smart and legacy devices into a generic system architecture and, subsequently, elaborates the requirements and components which are necessary to realize such an architecture including an application of load detection for the identification of running loads and their integration into existing HEM systems. We assess the feasibility of such an approach with a case study based on a measurement campaign on real households. We show how the information of detected appliances can be extracted in order to create device profiles allowing for their integration and management within a HEMS

Biquadratic Filter Applications Using a Fully-Differential Active-Only Integrator

A new class of active filters, real active-only filters is described and possible implementation issues of these filters are discussed. To remedy these issues, a fully-differential active-only integrator block built around current controlled current conveyors is presented. The integration frequency of the proposed circuit is adjustable over a wide frequency range. As an application, a real active-only filter based on the classical two-integrator loop topology is presented and designed. The feasibility of this filter in a 0.35µm CMOS process is verified through SPECTRE simulation program in the CADENCE design tool

Integration and Participation in Rural Development: the Case of Ireland

Rural development initiatives in recent years, in Ireland and elsewhere in western Europe, have placed great emphasis on ideas of integration, participation and empowerment. As a consequence, at both national and European Union levels, there have been a range of territorially-based programmes which, to a greater or lesser extent, espouse the idea of a more locally attuned ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development. This approach is seen as a more appropriate mechanism than traditional 'top-down' strategies. While current strategies might be seen as offering new possibilities for those living in rural areas, this paper presents some evidence from on-going research in Ireland suggesting that there are a number of issues which need to be teased out. Two key themes are highlighted. Firstly, there are a number of what can be seen as ‘technical’ considerations centring on the mechanics of co-ordination and integration. Secondly, there are issues pertaining to power relationships at both national and local levels which need to be explored

Propositions for information technology: Planning for success

In Canada, the West Vancouver School Board proposed 13 propositions about the selection, management, and effective use of information technology. For each proposition, the senior management included a full outline of the current status, a plan of action, the name of the staff member responsible, and a time line. An external assessment of implementation of each proposition and of the impact on achievement was undertaken. The propositions, clustered in the areas of vision, statement of beliefs, student learning goals, definition, social issues, learning issues, clarification of roles and responsibilities, integration of information delivery systems, community-based information infrastructure, and assessment, are discussed

Conceptual information processing: A robust approach to KBS-DBMS integration

Integrating the respective functionality and architectural features of knowledge base and data base management systems is a topic of considerable interest. Several aspects of this topic and associated issues are addressed. The significance of integration and the problems associated with accomplishing that integration are discussed. The shortcomings of current approaches to integration and the need to fuse the capabilities of both knowledge base and data base management systems motivates the investigation of information processing paradigms. One such paradigm is concept based processing, i.e., processing based on concepts and conceptual relations. An approach to robust knowledge and data base system integration is discussed by addressing progress made in the development of an experimental model for conceptual information processing

Family Planning and HIV Prevention: Creating Synergies

Both family planning (FP) and its integration with HIV programs have been overshadowed by donor emphasis on other urgent health issues, namely HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa where the HIV epidemic is most acute, fertility rates are high and modern contraceptive use is low.1 This occurs despite the high unmet need for FP in the region and the proven impact of FP programming on a broad range of development goals, including health, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. FP and HIV prevention interventions are synergistic in efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies and HIV, and their integration contributes to lessening the burden of other health and socio-economic challenges faced in the developing world.This brief discusses the lack of synergy between FP and HIV prevention interventions and the benefi ts increased synergy could bring. It discusses current limitations to contraceptive access and their effect on the potential for integration, and what PSI is doing to improve FP/HIV integration. PSI is committed to increasing and improving such integration in order to maximize health impact and cost-effi ciency

Regulatory Harmonisation - Issues for New Zealand

This paper discusses aspects of harmonisation of regulatory structures (occupational, product approval etc) between jurisdictions. The primary focus is on trans-national arrangements, but many of the issues also apply to relations between central and regional/local government, and between regional/local governments. The paper addresses a taxonomy of harmonisation approaches, who to harmonise with, how far and in what areas, and a range of implementation issues, before reviewing some relevant EU examples, outlining existing trans-Tasman regulatory relationships and current trans-Tasman harmonisation proposals, and noting some issues relevant to local government. It does not address wider economic integration issues or currency or political union.

Research into the use of ICT and e-learning for work-based learning in the skills sector

This research has been commissioned by Becta to provide an evidence-based overview of the current use and effectiveness of work-based e-learning and its integration with more traditional learning methods. The specific objectives of the research were to: investigate the known impact of ICT and e-learning on the skills sector; and describe the ways in which ICT and e-learning can support key workforce development issues such as addressing skills gaps and achieving sustainability in training and development

The Macroeconomic Context for Trade in Guinea Bissau

This paper surveys the current macroeconomic situation in Guinea Bissau in light of proposals to increase the integration of the country with international markets. Major issues are continuing instability in the government, poor infrastructure particularly the port) and a very high degree of dependence on one export – cashew.Cashew, Macroeconomic, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Production Economics,