Effective and responsible marketing of online sports gambling to young adults in the UK

In an industry that has experienced rapid growth for a number of years, where product differentiation is minimal, the marketing tactics of online sports gambling (OSG) bookmakers are likely to push the boundaries of what can be considered responsible, as companies seek to stand out from competitors and take advantage of industry growth. This research aims to explore how the marketing tactics of OSG companies shape the gambling habits of young adult consumers, and whether this demographic considers these tactics responsible. Recommendations are made on how online bookmakers can remain responsible in their marketing to young adults. Findings revealed that the primary motivation behind young adults’ recreational gambling was the excitement induced through participation. Further, young adults’ OSG bookmaker preference is influenced by promotional offers for existing customers. Results from the study indicate that in general, young adults do not deem the varied marketing techniques employed by OSG companies as irresponsible practices. However there were concerns regarding the potential impact of the continued increase in OSG marketing on problem gamblers and children (under 18)

A low cost, rapid impedance measurement technique suitable for Li-ion health diagnosis in battery energy storage systems

Battery energy storage is becoming a vital part of green energy systems. Prediction of the state of health of energy storage systems is difficult as it relies on a number of parameters. Pseudo Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) excitation of energy storage batteries has been shown to be a valid method of battery parameter identification for lead acid batteries [1]. The purpose of this work is to validate PRBS test data from a 3Ah LiFePO4 cell forming part of an EV battery-pack cell against Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) data obtained from an industry-standard potentiostat (Solartron 1480). PRBS results are obtained in under 200 seconds on easily reproducible equipment which can be built into a green energy battery management system, while the EIS process takes over two hours on prohibitively expensive laboratory equipment. This work validates PRBS as a fast and portable method of obtaining the impedance spectrum of Lithium Ion cells, which can then be used to obtain information about SoH of the BESS

Sustainable city : energy usage prediction method for electrified refuse collection vehicles

With the initiative of sustainable smart city space, services and structures (3S), progress towards zero-emission municipal services has advanced the deployment of electric refuse collection vehicles (eRCVs). However, eRCVs are commonly equipped with oversized batteries which not only contribute to the majority of the weight of the vehicles but also remain a consistent weight, independent of the stage of charge (SoC), thus crucially jeopardising the significance of eRCVs in sustainability and economic strategies. Hence, customising the battery capacity in such a way that minimises its weight while storing ample energy for stalwart serviceability could significantly enhance its sustainability. In this study, taking only addresses as input, through an emergent two-stage data analysis, the energy required to collect refuse from a group of addresses was predicted. Therefore, predictions of the battery capacity requirement for the target location are possible. The theories and techniques presented in this paper were evaluated using real-life data from eRCV trials. For the same group of addresses, predicted results show an averaged error rate of 8.44%, which successfully demonstrates that using the proposed address-driven energy prediction approach, the energy required to collect refuse from a set of addresses can be predicted, which can provide a means to optimise the vehicle’s battery requirement

Fully integrated EV energy storage using transport infrastructure

This paper explores the synergy between the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for commuting and light rail systems, for example an inner city trams system. The desire to move towards EVs is rapidly increasing the number of EVs available on the roads, and hence the availability of EV batteries for future vehicle to grid (V2G) applications. Most Light rail systems utilize a DC power supply (typically 750Vdc) and require large power draw as the tram / train accelerates. Moreover, a large regenerative power results when the tram / train stops. This paper explores the typical energy use in light rail systems and explores the utilization of the dc rail supply to charge EV's parked in `park-and-ride' facilities trackside. In addition, the V2G aspect of the system could allow the EV battery to form an energy supply to assist the tram / train during acceleration and accept the regenerated energy from the system as the tram / train stops

Investigating the impact of electricity rationing on rural EV charging

The Electricity Supply Emergency Code (ESEC) outlines the process for electricity rationing via a range of scenarios (Levels 1 to 18), should a critical supply incident affect a specific region, or the whole of the UK. Given recent global events, the threat of its implementation is currently attracting large mainstream media attention and genuine concern. With the uptake of Electric Vehicles (EVs) increasing, motorists are ever more reliant on a resilient electrical grid in order to charge their vehicles. This paper is the first of its kind to consider the impact on the ability to charge EVs should the ESEC specifically be invoked. This paper also focuses on rural areas, in particular a small rural village in the UK, Bradbourne, located in the Peak District. For which a novel EV Charging Model has been designed to incorporate the patterns of various levels of disconnections as laid out in the ESEC. Additionally, two behavioural approaches to charging within a planned power outage have been modelled. Real concerns arise in the eventuality of the higher level scenarios being implemented, with almost 30% of modelled EVs unable to complete their planned journeys. Although peaks of grid demand are reduced, results in fact show very little energy reductions overall depending on the charging behaviour, thus rendering the efforts of the ESEC mute

Increasing urban tram system efficiency, with battery storage and electric vehicle charging

This paper examines the possible placement of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) on an urban tram system for the purpose of exploring potential increases in operating efficiency through the examination of different locations for battery energy storage. Further, the paper suggests the utilisation of Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries at existing Park and Ride (P&R) sites as a means of achieving additional energy storage at these locations. The study achieves this through MATLAB modelling utilising captured GPS data and publically available information. This study examines the scenario of uni-directional substations with no interconnection between the overhead catenary for both directions of travel, and discusses the trade-offs between ESS size and required current limits. The results show the savings in both energy and basic CO2 emissions alongside the discussion of Return on Investment (RoI) that can be achieved through the potential installation of ESS at identified ideal locations along the tram network. Moreover, this may be extended to the use of EVs as stationary ESS sited at the existing P&R facilities. Further, the model may also be used to inform future infrastructure upgrades and potential improvements to air quality within urban environments

Techno-economic planning of a fully renewable energy-based autonomous microgrid with both single and hybrid energy storage systems

This paper presents both the techno-economic planning and a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of an off-grid fully renewable energy-based microgrid (MG) intended to be used as an electric vehicle (EV) charging station. Different possible plans are compared using technical, economic, and techno-economic characteristics for different numbers of wind turbines and solar panels, and both single and hybrid energy storage systems (ESSs) composed of new Li-ion, second-life Li-ion, and new lead–acid batteries. A modified cost of energy (MCOE) index including EVs’ unmet energy penalties and present values of ESSs is proposed, which can combine both important technical and economic criteria together to enable a techno-economic decision to be made. Bi-objective and multi-objective decision-making are provided using the MCOE, total met load, and total costs in which different plans are introduced as the best plans from different aspects. The number of wind turbines and solar panels required for the case study is obtained with respect to the ESS capacity using weather data and assuming EV demand according to the EV population data, which can be generalized to other case studies according to the presented modelling. Through studies on hybrid-ESS-supported MGs, the impact of two different global energy management systems (EMSs) on techno-economic characteristics is investigated, including a power-sharing-based and a priority-based EMS. Single Li-ion battery ESSs in both forms, new and second-life, show the best plans according to the MCOE and total met load; however, the second-life Li-ion shows lower total costs. The hybrid ESSs of both the new and second-life Li-ion battery ESSs show the advantages of both the new and second-life types, i.e., deeper depths of discharge and cheaper plans

A data-driven travel demand model to predict electric vehicle energy consumption: focusing on the rural demographic in the UK

This paper presents a 7-day Travel Demand Model (TDM) for UK rural areas to aid the Electric Vehicle (EV) transition in these regions. Utilising data from both the UK Census Survey and UK National Travel Survey (NTS), private passenger vehicle travel patterns for a rural village in the Peak District National Park (UK), were modelled. This model is adaptable to any rural community within the UK, requiring only publicly available information on households and vehicles for that community. Using a novel approach through the development of lifestyle scenarios to understand the required household activities, the TDM incorporates five different trip purposes as the building blocks for a vehicle’s activity. Over a period of one week, 13,520 miles were driven by 84 vehicles across 49 households, that shows an EV fleet serving this community would consume 3562 kWh energy per week

Development and evaluation of empirical models for the estimation of hourly horizontal diffuse solar irradiance in the United Kingdom

Solar irradiation data is required in many applications to obtain the solar energy output. However, solar irradiation data is not always available, especially horizontal surface diffuse solar irradiation. This has led to the creation of empirical solar models to predict these values. The aim of this paper is to develop an empirical model for the estimation of hourly diffuse solar irradiance on horizontal surfaces. Initially, a set of existing empirical models have been evaluated to test their accuracy. New models have been developed based on ground level measurements of global and diffuse horizontal solar irradiation that have been obtained from three different regions of the United Kingdom: South Yorkshire, Norfolk, and West Sussex for a period between 1982 and 1999. The models created for each region correlate the diffuse fraction (kd) and the clearness index (kt), for the estimation of hourly diffuse solar irradiance on horizontal surfaces. The models developed for the three regions were evaluated to test their accuracy using error histograms and by contrasting different datasets. Finally, a comparison of the new models to the existing empirical models showed that the new developed correlations significantly improved the existing empirical models for the three regions evaluated in this study