The provision of public recharging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles in the UK – is there a business case?

The UK has been one of the most advanced countries in Europe for the demonstration of electric vehicles (EV) and the introduction of the supporting recharging infrastructure. Much of the UK’s EV recharging estate was created and is operated under public subsidy, in order to seed the marketplace for further EV and recharging equipment adoption. This paper addresses the fact that subsidies for the operation of this infrastructure are coming to an end, which is likely to affect EV drivers’ recharging behaviour. As the public funding ceases the infrastructure owners must find other ways to cover the on-going costs of operation and recover capital investments made, in order to provide a continuing and viable service to EV drivers. However, actual uptake of EVs and therefore demand for recharging has been lower than the arguably over optimistic predictions made in 2010 when the subsidies began. The difficulty of covering operating costs with inaccurate EV forecast figures is compounded by factors including asset life and ownership costs, recharging locations, vehicle and charging specifications, vehicle usage patterns and regional demographics. The introduction of fees for recharging at a level which EV drivers are willing to pay is unlikely to enable infrastructure owners to recoup their full costs using conventional business models. A Social and Environmental accounting model could be developed to help inform decision making for the public recharging business case. This paper gives an overview of the findings from the UK supplemented by experience from Republic of Ireland, and comments on the impact of inaccurate EV sales predictions and early changes in recharging behaviour resulting from reduction in subsidies. Document type: Articl

Usage analysis of public AC chargers in the UK

In the United Kingdom, approximately 56% of the total charging network, consisting of forty thousand charge points, is comprised of fast AC chargers. However, there exists a significant lack of information regarding usage patterns, which poses a challenge for making informed decisions about future infrastructure planning. This paper focuses on a statistical analysis of the usage patterns of 416 public AC chargers (7 kW) in the UK, based on a dataset comprising over ten thousand charging sessions. The data was collected from one of the UK's largest AC charging network operators over a four-month period (April to July 2022). The study specifically examines the charging demand (measured in kWh) and utilisation rates of chargers located in four different types of parking lots: multi-storey, workplace, on-street, and surface car parks. The analysis reveals that the median charging demand remains consistent across different locations, but there is a high standard deviation in locations with parking restrictions. Two different utilisation metrics, namely sojourn-based and energy-based, are employed to assess the utilisation rates. The results indicate that the overall median utilization rates are generally low, with most locations recording rates below 5%. These findings contribute valuable insights for effective planning and optimal allocation of investments aimed at expanding charging infrastructure

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

A methodology to disseminate selected lean manufacturing tools into general manufacturing

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A systematic review of the impact of patient and public involvement on service users, researchers and communities

Objective Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research has expanded nationally and internationally over the last decade, and recently there has been significant attention given to understanding its impact on research. Less attention has been given to the impact of PPI on the people involved, yet it has been shown that the success of PPI in research can be reliant on the processes of engagement between these individuals and communities. This paper therefore critically explores the impact of PPI on service users, researchers and communities involved in health and social care research. Data Sources Searches were undertaken from 1995 to April 2012 in the electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane library, CINAHL, HMIC and HELMIS. Searches were undertaken for grey literature using the databases InvoNet and NHS Evidence. Study Selection Studies were included if they included the impact of PPI on individual service users, researchers or communities under research. Studies were excluded if they were in a foreign language (unless they were deemed critical to the systematic review) or were in children and adolescent services. Study Appraisal Data were extracted using a narrative synthesis, and quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Main Results Service users reported feeling empowered and valued, gaining confidence and life skills. Researchers developed a greater understanding and insight into their research area, gaining respect and a good rapport with the community. The community involved in research became more aware and knowledgeable about their condition. However, lack of preparation and training led some service users to feel unable to contribute to the research, while other service users and communities reported feeling overburdened with the work involved. Researchers reported difficulties in incorporating PPI in meaningful ways due to lack of money and time. Conclusion This is the first international systematic review to focus on the impact of PPI on the people involved in the process. The beneficial and challenging impacts reported highlight the importance of optimising the context and processes of involvement, so creating the potential for PPI to impact positively on the research itself

Geomorphic controls on the physical and hydrologic properties of soils in a valley floor

The distribution of soil hydraulic and physical properties strongly influences runoff processes in landscapes. Although much work has been done to quantify and predict the properties of hillslope soils, far less is known about the distribution of soil properties in valley floors. A technique that links the estimation and distribution of soil hydraulic properties in valleys, with easily identified geomorphic features, was developed along a 2 km length of a valley at Brooks Creek in New South Wales, Australia. Soil physical and hydraulic property data were collected across a set of floodplain and fan features within the valley and analysed statistically to determine if soil properties varied significantly between geomorphic features and stratigraphic layers. The results show that the depth-averaged saturated hydraulic conductivity, K(s), of the soil varies significantly with landform: fan units have K(g) values that are twice that of floodplains and colluvial toeslope deposits have K(s) values four times higher than floodplains. Given the notorious variability of K(s) values in space, the strong statistical separation of soil properties by landform, backed up by strong separation of soil particle size by landform, suggests a way forward in understanding the distribution of soil properties in valleys and their influence on catchment hydrology