Market Structure and Energy Efficiency: The Case of New Commercial Buildings

This is a report on why commercial office buildings aren’t more energy efficient. Several decades of energy efficiency programs have resulted in some gains, but overall increases in the energy efficiency of buildings have fallen far short of the 30 to 50 percent improvement that many efficiency advocates believe is possible. The purpose of this study is to consider the “why” question by empirically examining the dynamics of new commercial building markets. To do so, the authors used multiple research techniques, including qualitative field observation and interview methods that allow for a more in-depth understanding of complicated market processes. Their research focused primarily on new office buildings and centered in four regional markets: Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. The authors identify key dynamics of commercial office building markets, describe how change and innovation occurs in commercial development, discuss the implications for energy efficiency, and suggest next steps

From Ideas to Practice, Pilots to Strategy: Practical Solutions and Actionable Insights on How to Do Impact Investing

This report is the second publication in the World Economic Forum's Mainstreaming Impact Investing Initiative. The report takes a deeper look at why and how asset owners began to include impact investing in their portfolios and continue to do so today, and how they overcame operational and cultural constraints affecting capital flow. Given that impact investing expertise is spread among dozens if not hundreds of practitioners and academics, the report is a curation of some -- but certainly not all -- of those leading voices. The 15 articles are meant to provide investors, intermediaries and policy-makers with actionable insights on how to incorporate impact investing into their work.The report's goals are to show how mainstream investors and intermediaries have overcome the challenges in the impact investment sector, and to democratize the insights and expertise for anyone and everyone interested in the field. Divided into four main sections, the report contains lessons learned from practitioner's experience, and showcases best practices, organizational structures and innovative instruments that asset owners, asset managers, financial institutions and impact investors have successfully implemented

Strategic Channel Design

When choosing distribution channels, companies need to rely on design principles that are aligned with their overall competitive strategy. Accelerating technological change, heightened marketplace demands, more aggressive global competition, and shifts in the workforce and population demographics are affecting distribution channels, forcing companies to reconsider fundamental assumptions about how they reach their markets. The magnitude of change demands a strategic perspective that views channel decisions as choices from a continually changing array of alternatives for achieving market coverage and competitive advantage — subject, of course, to the constraints of cost, investment, and flexibility. Tactical responses, based on maintaining power balances, managing conflicts, and minimizing transaction costs to pursue greater efficiency, will not suffice

From Social Data Mining to Forecasting Socio-Economic Crisis

Socio-economic data mining has a great potential in terms of gaining a better understanding of problems that our economy and society are facing, such as financial instability, shortages of resources, or conflicts. Without large-scale data mining, progress in these areas seems hard or impossible. Therefore, a suitable, distributed data mining infrastructure and research centers should be built in Europe. It also appears appropriate to build a network of Crisis Observatories. They can be imagined as laboratories devoted to the gathering and processing of enormous volumes of data on both natural systems such as the Earth and its ecosystem, as well as on human techno-socio-economic systems, so as to gain early warnings of impending events. Reality mining provides the chance to adapt more quickly and more accurately to changing situations. Further opportunities arise by individually customized services, which however should be provided in a privacy-respecting way. This requires the development of novel ICT (such as a self- organizing Web), but most likely new legal regulations and suitable institutions as well. As long as such regulations are lacking on a world-wide scale, it is in the public interest that scientists explore what can be done with the huge data available. Big data do have the potential to change or even threaten democratic societies. The same applies to sudden and large-scale failures of ICT systems. Therefore, dealing with data must be done with a large degree of responsibility and care. Self-interests of individuals, companies or institutions have limits, where the public interest is affected, and public interest is not a sufficient justification to violate human rights of individuals. Privacy is a high good, as confidentiality is, and damaging it would have serious side effects for society.Comment: 65 pages, 1 figure, Visioneer White Paper, see http://www.visioneer.ethz.c

Financing the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals: A Rough Roadmap

We regroup the main types of global development finance into three clusters: concessional public finance (including domestic taxes), public borrowing on market-related terms, and private finance. We look at the main purposes they can be used for, and their interdependence. We consider the global outlook for capital markets, the determinants of country creditworthiness and why grant aid should be prioritised for less creditworthy countries. We suggest that financing plans for most of the new Sustainable Development Goals should be developed at the country level rather than globally, so that key trade-offs can be fully explored. We look at specific policies to unlock access to private sector participation in five key areas -- including social services. We introduce a Market Aid Index to help track donor engagement with the private sector. We investigate how a country's mix of development finance changes as it grows -- the so-called 'missing middle' dilemma. We find that public resources overall fall continuously until a country is well into middle income status, as international assistance falls faster than tax revenues rise. Static per capita income thresholds are becoming increasingly unreliable guides to resource allocation. We look at alternative groupings, especially taking into account fiscal capacity, creditworthiness and vulnerability. We assess the recent literature on trade-offs between rapid growth and climate change mitigation imperatives. We examine the geography of public climate finance, which is intrinsically different from that of development aid, and the lack of a credible 'additionality' test for funding the former over and above the latter. We therefore consider how the limited public grant element so far available should best be rationed, to limit the scope for distortions. We revisit the role of the multilateral development banks' market-related windows, in view of the missing middle problem. We consider what factors underpin their secular stagnation, and how to overcome them. We summarise other specific international reform options in response to our analysis, on private sector contributions, market-related lending and climate finance. We conclude by contrasting two alternative world views: (1) making international public finance a complement to private finance everywhere, and (2) deliberately focusing public stakes where the private sector is not present. We suggest a way forward

Mobility Options for the Aging Population of Manitoba: An Action Plan for Regional Solutions

Report: iv., pp.122; ill., Digital file.Safe mobility for older adults is a multifaceted and complex issue, and no single solution exists to address the needs of a diverse senior population. Solutions to improve transportation for seniors are impeded by a range of obstacles including: (1) increasing demand due to large increases in the elderly population; (2) inadequate funding and the need for clarification in jurisdictional responsibility; (3) the extreme winter conditions experienced in Manitoba; and (4) heavy reliance on the automobile and limited support for alternative forms of transportation. In the province of Manitoba previous research has emphasized that the lack of appropriate mobility resources for seniors in both urban and rural settings hinders the promotion of independence, quality of life and empowerment that are all crucial factors for successful aging.Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat

Fourth Generation Wireless Systems: Requirements and Challenges for the Next Frontier

Fourth generation wireless systems (4G) are likely to reach the consumer market in another 4-5 years. 4G comes with the promise of increased bandwidth, higher speeds, greater interoperability across communication protocols, and user friendly, innovative, and secure applications. In this article, I list the requirements of the 4G systems by considering the needs of the users in the future. These requirements can be met if technical and business challenges can be overcome. Technical challenges include mobility management, quality of service, interoperability, high data rate, security, survivability, spectrum, intelligent mobile devices, middleware, and network access. I discuss the most plausible solutions to these technical challenges in this paper. Business-related challenges include billing, payment methods, pricing, size of investments, content provision and mediation, and the trade-off between richness and reach. If these technical and business challenges can be met, then 4G will become the next frontier in data and voice communication infrastructure

CBM Challenges and Opportunities for O&M of the Johan Sverdrup Oil and Gas Field

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract] Paper describes the challenges and forward developments to face up on Operation and Maintenance (O&M) issues at the Johan Sverdrup field (Blocks: PL 501, PL 265 and PL 502), on the phases (Concept and Design, Construction and Hook-up, Commissioning, Operations and Maintenance, and Recycling), and a research study of the Oil&Gas profitability. Estimated reserves are between 1.8 billion to 2.8 billion bbl, so assessing the total risk of the field development is crucial. Although, development is estimated to cost up to $31 billion, but the full life-cycle price tag, including operating costs through 2068, is around$58.33 billion. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a conceptual methodology analysis framework, for understanding how analysis of cost and benefits, are carry out for assessment and implementation of the Condition Base Monitoring (CBM) and measure the total OPEX (Operate Expenditure/Operating Cost). As well as a specific maintenance philosophy and conceptual approach on the business cases studies of the project lead, to a cost-effective solution. Paper begins by providing a background for analyzing the life-cycle impacts during the life of the field (50 years), and describing measures to implement during the O&M strategies. Follows by targeting the expectations, which one rest on profitability and optimization of the field, with oil prices above $60 per barrel (proved on Case 3). The harvest will, therefore, be profitable even after the price crash. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis (Alternatives A and B) focuses and identifies “Cost Items” (Cost Drivers) that the project carries. Achieved a reliable “concept development” is the greatest ambition, but uncertainties on Maintenance strategies and programs, have showed high cost at early phases. The aim was to measure the actual costs against predicted LCC and to calculate the cumulative costs throughout a product's Life Cycle (LC) of the assets. Discussed and summarized the extent to which these costs and benefits may already take into account and how the CBM strategy mechanism should be works based on a model built. Finally, is demonstrated through calculating an ″downtime scenario″ that could happens, which one creates Deferred Production Costs. Also, has been estimate the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) might be applicable on the researched project development ratio (cost vs. benefit), with overall maintenance effectiveness strategy under study on the LCC Alternative 2. Therefore, describing the maintenance support functionality, based on input obtained from CBM systems and a predictive, periodic maintenance plan is indispensable, in order to cut off potential costs, target future benefits and guaranty a safety robust production installation. At the end, the paper addresses the future performance outlook development in the Oil&Gas Industry as whole, stating essential optimization valuable principles