Delivered versus Mill Nonlinear Pricing in Free Entry Markets

This paper discusses a model where consumers simultaneously differ according to one unobservable (preference for quality) and one observable characteristic (location). In these circumstances nonlinear prices arise in equilibrium. The main question addressed in this work is whether firms should be allowed to practise different nonlinear prices at each location (delivered nonlinear pricing) or should be forced to set an unique nonlinear contract (mill nonlinear pricing). Assuming that firms can costless relocate, we show that the free entry long-run number of firms may be either smaller, equal, or higher under delivered nonlinear pricing. In addition, we show that delivered nonlinear pricing yields in the long-run higher welfare and, consequently, our results support the view that discriminatory nonlinear pricing should not be prohibited.

Delivered versus Mill Nonlinear Pricing in Free Entry Markets

This paper discusses a model where consumers simultaneously differ according to one unobservable (preference for quality) and one observable characteristic (location). In these circumstances nonlinear prices arise in equilibrium. The main question addressed in this work is whether firms should be allowed to practise different nonlinear prices at each location (delivered nonlinear pricing) or should be forced to set an unique nonlinear contract (mill nonlinear pricing). Assuming that firms can costless relocate, we show that the free entry long-run number of firms may be either smaller, equal, or higher under delivered nonlinear pricing. In addition, we show that delivered nonlinear pricing yields in the long-run higher welfare and, consequently, our results support the view that discriminatory nonlinear pricing should not be prohibited.N/

BIOCLIMATIC SOLUTIONS IN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE: TRANSITION SPACES

The traditional architecture is founded as a defining element of the identity of a region, and its essence should be preserved and conserved by means of maintenance and recovery actions. Thus, the best solutions and proposals for intervention should be looked for but this doesn’t imply a back to back innovation and at construction progress. This work includes the description of techniques for maintenance and conservation of bioclimatic solutions found and inventoried in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, with special focus on a unique bioclimatic solution known as Transition Spaces (from the interior to the exterior of the buildings and vice-versa), whose main purpose is to ensure protection from the elements when entering or exiting buildings, to contribute to the improvement of the buildings thermal performance and to create sheltered interior/exterior living spaces. This architectural characteristic is based on the building’s solar exposure, predominant winds and geographical and topographic conditions. It is important to recover the historical heritage in a sustainable manner, allowing it to become an engine of development for both urban and small rural centres that exist in the periphery of the bigger cities

Bioclimatic solutions in vernacular architecture: transition spaces

The traditional architecture is founded as a defining element of the identity of a region, and its essence should be preserved and conserved by means of maintenance and recovery actions. Thus, the best solutions and proposals for intervention should be looked for but this doesn’t imply a back to back innovation and at construction progress. This work includes the description of techniques for maintenance and conservation of bioclimatic solutions found and inventoried in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, with special focus on a unique bioclimatic solution known as Transition Spaces (from the interior to the exterior of the buildings and vice-versa), whose main purpose is to ensure protection from the elements when entering or exiting buildings, to contribute to the improvement of the buildings thermal performance and to create sheltered interior/exterior living spaces. This architectural characteristic is based on the building’s solar exposure, predominant winds and geographical and topographic conditions. It is important to recover the historical heritage in a sustainable manner, allowing it to become an engine of development for both urban and small rural centres that exist in the periphery of the bigger cities

Bioclimatic solutions existing in vernacular architecture - geothermal climatization

The traditional architecture is founded as a defining element of the identity of a region, and its essence should be preserved and conserved by means of maintenance and recovery actions. Thus, the best solutions and proposals for intervention should be looked for but this doesn’t imply a back to back on both innovation and construction progress. This work is part of the BIOURB project, a cross-border project between Portugal and Spain, which intended to contribute to the change of the current constructive model towards a more sustainable bioclimatic model, both environmentally and economically, reducing buildings energy consumption and raising the value of bioclimatic heritage along the border region. This paper includes the description of a series of tasks in order to perform buildings maintenance and rehabilitation, dignifying the built heritage and enhancing the use of traditional materials and techniques, with a view to economic and environmental sustainability. It is intended to provide a set of relevant information for those who have the responsibility or the concern to extend the life of buildings and disclose among users, current and potential, good and bad, options for the conservation and rehabilitation as well as anomalies that currently affect buildings. Geothermal climatization is one of the eight bioclimatic solutions identified using renewable energies. This climatization system takes advantage of the thermal characteristics of the in depth ground which presents constant temperatures throughout the year (also, temperature increases with depth). These steady temperatures are easy to find when one get into buried spaces of buildings by checking that they are cooler in summer and have warm temperatures in winter. Taking advantage of the ground characteristics is reflected a bit everywhere in buried constructions that are therefore more protected from the weather. Buried spaces without any day lighting, excavated in earth and stone, were the most often used for preserving food and wine. The main purposes of this work are to analyse this type of bioclimatic solution, to provide conservation, preservation and rehabilitation techniques, as well as to cope with the benefits of the principles of traditional architecture that should integrate and inspire the bioclimatic construction

Exemplos de soluções bioclimáticas existentes na construção tradicional da região transfronteiriça Norte de Portugal Castela e Leão

A arquitetura tradicional constitui-se como elemento definidor da identidade de uma região, devendo ser preservada e mantida a sua essência nas ações de conservação e reabilitação. Deste modo, devem procurar-se as melhores soluções e propostas de intervenção sem que isso signifique voltar costas à inovação e ao progresso construtivo. No âmbito da cooperação transfronteiriça Norte de Portugal-Castela e Leão, foi aprovado o projeto BIOURB – Diversidade Construtiva Transfronteiriça, Edificação Bioclimática e sua adaptação à Arquitetura e Urbanismo Moderno, liderado pela Entidade Regional da Energia de Castela e Leão e que integrou como parceiros o Instituto de la Construcción de Castela y León, a Fundación CIDAUT, o Ayuntamiento de Trabanca, o Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, o município de Mogadouro e o município de Bragança. Pretendeu-se com o mesmo contribuir para a mudança do atual modelo construtivo para um modelo bioclimático mais sustentável, quer em termos ambientais quer em termos económicos, diminuindo o consumo de energia dos edifícios e elevando o valor do património bioclimático transfronteiriço. Um dos objetivos do projeto BIOURB consistiu na elaboração de um manual para a conservação e reabilitação da diversidade construtiva. Pretendeu-se com este trabalho fornecer um conjunto de informações relevantes para quem tem a responsabilidade ou a preocupação de prolongar a vida útil dos edifícios e divulgar, junto dos utentes, as boas e más opções de conservação e reabilitação bem como as anomalias que afetam correntemente os edifícios. Para tal foram estudadas soluções bioclimáticas encontradas e inventariadas na zona fronteiriça entre Portugal e Espanha, mais concretamente entre as zonas abrangidas pelos municípios de Bragança, Miranda do Douro, Vimioso, Mogadouro, Salamanca e Zamora. No presente artigo descrevem-se as várias soluções bioclimáticas representativas da região, em particular a solução singular Estufa Anexa, cuja principal vantagem é contribuir significativamente para as melhorias do desempenho térmico dos edifícios

Bioclimatic solutions existing in vernacular architecture - geothermal climatization

The traditional architecture is founded as a defining element of the identity of a region, and its essence should be preserved and conserved by means of maintenance and recovery actions. Thus, the best solutions and proposals for intervention should be looked for but this doesn’t imply a back to back on both innovation and construction progress. This work is part of the BIOURB project, a cross-border project between Portugal and Spain, which intended to contribute to the change of the current constructive model towards a more sustainable bioclimatic model, both environmentally and economically, reducing buildings energy consumption and raising the value of bioclimatic heritage along the border region. This paper includes the description of a series of tasks in order to perform buildings maintenance and rehabilitation, dignifying the built heritage and enhancing the use of traditional materials and techniques, with a view to economic and environmental sustainability. It is intended to provide a set of relevant information for those who have the responsibility or the concern to extend the life of buildings and disclose among users, current and potential, good and bad, options for the conservation and rehabilitation as well as anomalies that currently affect buildings. Geothermal climatization is one of the eight bioclimatic solutions identified using renewable energies. This climatization system takes advantage of the thermal characteristics of the in depth ground which presents constant temperatures throughout the year (also, temperature increases with depth). These steady temperatures are easy to find when one get into buried spaces of buildings by checking that they are cooler in summer and have warm temperatures in winter. Taking advantage of the ground characteristics is reflected a bit everywhere in buried constructions that are therefore more protected from the weather. Buried spaces without any day lighting, excavated in earth and stone, were the most often used for preserving food and wine. The main purposes of this work are to analyse this type of bioclimatic solution, to provide conservation, preservation and rehabilitation techniques, as well as to cope with the benefits of the principles of traditional architecture that should integrate and inspire the bioclimatic construction

Vertical product differentiation in the lab: impact of consumers’ preferences

We revisit a quality-then-pricing duopoly game, theoretically and experimentally exploring how heterogeneity in consumers’ preferences affects firms’ decisions and profits. We find that firms differentiate less their products in the lab than the theoretical model predicts, especially when the heterogeneity in consumers’ preferences is high. When this heterogeneity is small, the firm producing the low-quality good profits more than the rival in the lab, which contradicts the theoretical predictions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Market power and integrated regional markets of electricity: a simulation of the mibel

We consider a partial equilibrium model where we study the integration of two oligopolistic markets that are not symmetric (in number of firms, in demand or market dimension). We present a simulation for the integration of the Iberian wholesale electricity market (MIBEL) and show how the exercise of market power will evolve with regional full integration. The simulation results show that, as expected, market power is lower after full integration. However, even after full integration, market power is still a feature of the market. There fore, the full benefits of liberalisation and integration are not seized by the consumers since wholesale prices persist to be higher than marginal costs.publishe

Relatório de avaliação das necessidades de reabilitação energética e bioconstrutiva - Rio de Onor

No âmbito do Projeto de Investigação BIOURB NATUR pretendeu-se caracterizar o património dos espaços naturais da zona Norte de Portugal e Espanha, mais concretamente efetuar a caracterização construtiva e energética de edifícios selecionados, com identificação do estado de conservação, do perfil energético e das tipologias de uso atual e futuras. A presente caracterização diz respeito à Escola Primária de Rio de Onor. A caracterização do edifício estabelece-se a três níveis: construtivo, energético e social. A nível construtivo pretendeu-se avaliar todos os aspetos arquitetónicos e as infraestruturas do edifício, bem como todas as anomalias que padece, tendo especial atenção os elementos construtivos que têm maior necessidade de reabilitação. A nível energético pretendeu-se caracterizar o edifício em função dos aspetos construtivos e bioclimáticos e a identificação dos recursos energéticos locais. A nível social pretendeu-se avaliar o tipo de uso atual, considerando as dinâmicas socioeconómicas da população local, de modo a definir as linhas de reabilitação do edifício em estudo. O processo de levantamento de anomalias do edifício em causa refere-se ao registo das origens, sintomas e natureza dos problemas por ele apresentados no seu estado atual, tendo como objetivo estabelecer as premissas de reabilitação utilizando soluções bioclimáticas. As anomalias detetadas foram registadas fotograficamente de modo a evidenciar a sua importância e localização no edifício ou na estrutura. É ainda apresentado um relatório de inspeção, cujo objetivo principal é a avaliação do estado de degradação atual, tornando-se assim uma peça fundamental para a reabilitação, pois fornece informações detalhadas sobre o estado de conservação da estrutura. Assim, será a partir da análise dos dados fornecidos por este presente relatório que se poderá decidir qual o tipo de intervenção e quais as medidas adequadas à reabilitação do edifício aplicando os conceitos de diversidade bio-construtiva e de construção bioclimática identificados e desenvolvidos no Projeto BIOURBinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio