Assessment of Renewable Air-Conditioning Using Economic Feasibility Procedures

The renewable energy utilization is attaining numerous recognition and diverse assessment is obligatory to be executed for several innovations which has in turn become a general system requirement. The increasing application of fossil fuels is virtually not only triggering swift energy sources depletion; nevertheless, deliberately manufacturing harmful gases which in turn directly impacts humanity. Therefore, this paper addresses the economic assessment of renewable airconditioning using ARR, NPV, IRR and payback period technique. Knowing the obscured fossil fuels effects and its consequences to human wellbeing is key for assessing renewable-based airconditioning using economic feasibility practices and for underpinning further remarkable conclusions for imminent energy production. The system economic assessment is measured in conjunction with the use of cleaner energy sources, vis-à-vis renewable energy utilization such as photovoltaic solar power. The outcome reveals that photovoltaic solar airconditioning is worth undertaking using economic assessment procedures. The accounting rate of return is 185.7%; the net present value yielded a positive value NPV > 0 which suggests the project is worth undertaking; payback period is 9.5 years, and this typically demonstrates that the system will begin to make profit after 9.5 years of operation and at the discount rate of up to 10.19%, photovoltaic solar airconditioning investment is worth undertaking

Air-Conditioning and the Transmission of COVID-19 in Indoor Environment

Substandard ventilation in restricted air-conditioning indoor places is allied with upsurge in the respiratory infections’ transmission. There have been several COVID-19 spread occurrences connected with indoor environment, together with a few from pre-symptomatic situations. Ventilation role in averting coronavirus transmission is not precise (i.e., through inhibiting transmission of an infectious dose to susceptible individuals or preventing the spreading of contagious particles to lessen the risk of transmission). SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be mainly spread through significant respiratory droplets, nevertheless, a growing amount of epidemic information associate aerosol role in the epidemics of coronavirus. Aerosols comprise of droplet nuclei and little droplets which stay in the air for longer than significant droplets. Recent studies show that coronavirus particles can stay transmissible on numerous substances, including aerosols within the indoor environments, as well as the contagion period contingent on humidity and temperature. Thus far, COVID-19 transmission via air-conditioning systems is unclear, but it is considered possible

Theoretical Assessment of Sustainability Principles for Renewable Smart Air-Conditioning

Upon an improvement in the quality of life, air-conditioning has generally been applied. Nevertheless, environmental and health issues related with the use of air-conditioning occurs more often. Therefore, this paper aims to theoretically assess the principles of sustainability to achieve sustainability for renewable smart air-conditioning. Not only with consideration to the geometry (i.e. system mechanisms and components), fuzzy logic control and proportional-integral-derivative that such studies drawn particular attention to, but with concerns to a matter which has been previously ignored. That is with consideration to the potential which the renewable-based options, advanced smart control technique and profitability measures of air-conditioning reinforces the three pillars of sustainability, and their sustainable indicators as context-specific transformations have, to not only eradicate indoor health effects, lower the levels of energy consumption and rate of carbon emissions, but to uncover the significance of and particular contribution renewables and smart control opportunities makes to the sustainability of the system. In meeting this aim and demonstrating the sustainability of the theoretical framework, this paper reveals renewable and smart control system as the fundamental key components of the air-conditioning as it promotes to reduce levels of energy consumption and lower carbon emissions, vis-à-vis establish a comfortable and healthy indoor environment as an exercise in the sustainable theoretical framework whose status as renewable smart air-conditioning not only tackle poor indoor air quality but also combat global warming and climate change

A Feasibility Study for the Optimized Development of Renewable Air-Conditioning for Different Climatic Conditions

This paper aims to present renewable air-conditioning as a sustainable system for varied climatic conditions with the feasibility of optimization to reduce the level of energy consumption and the rate of carbon emissions. Extreme use of air-conditioning has caused substantial growth in the level of energy consumption and carbon emissions. This fact clarifies the requirement for considering improvement applications of renewable energy sources for air-conditioning systems. The components of solar air-conditioning are studied and employed as the basis for system optimization. The approach this paper presented implements a key component-based modelling analysis of renewables and modelling concepts that the geometry of this air-conditioning is founded on. The optimized model is performed using Polysun program, a renewable system analysis tool. As an exercise in the system modelling, the principle component analysis also accounts for the renewables of air-conditioning in relation to the context of the application and with respect to their integration into the climatic conditions of London, Toulouse and Rome. This, in turn, allows for the interpretation of the findings on the significance of renewables in energy consumption and carbon emissions. It also allows for the generation of a sustainability-based system that can reduce the level of energy consumption and the rate of carbon emissions. In this way, this paper uncovers the significance of renewables as a source of clean energy and sustainable practice in air-conditioning. It also reveals the particular contribution they make to the levels of energy consumption and carbon emissions that not only tackles global warming but also combats climate change

Development of a Sustainable Theoretical Framework for a Renewable Based Bathroom Unit

One of the major issues facing the world in the 21st century is climate change. However, sustainability has become a crucial concept to combat extreme consumption of environmental resources. The bathroom has been estimated to be the principal user of environmental resources in United Kingdom households. Therefore, the challenge that how a combined water and energy saving unit in the bathroom will contribute to the sustainability of the houses will remain unresolved. This study challenges and extends existing knowledge on sustainability related to the smart bathroom systems considering social, environmental, and economic principles to achieve a highly efficient water and energy consumption in the bathroom. This study gathers that a range of technological challenges are based on the individual components and technologies in the bathroom and concludes that a holistic approach is required for an effective modelling in the bathroom. This allows the examination of energy and water flows in the complex systems, shaped by various social, economic and environmental forces. The method this study presented adopts conceptual and holistic modelling to design and implement a bathroom unit that is sustainable and smart. This study uncovers the contribution of renewable energy source and smart control technologies in the bathroom and the significant contribution it makes in levels of energy consumption and carbon emissions. These sustainable features are subsequently used to develop framework for sustainable for implementing and evaluation of sustainable bathroom system. This study has established a strong quantitative and qualitative links between three dimensions of sustainability

Holistic Modelling and Parametric Study of Bathroom Solar Hot Water Heating System

One of the major issues facing the world in the 21st century is climate change. However, sustainability has become a crucial concept to combat extreme consumption of environmental resources. The bathroom has been estimated to be the principal user of environmental resources in United Kingdom households. Therefore, the challenge that how a combined water and energy saving unit in the bathroom will contribute to the sustainability of the houses will remain unresolved. While the use of solar hot water technologies has been fundamental for energy efficiencies, this study reckons that lack of significant energy saving, and efficiency issues are based on the use of individual components and technologies it employed and concludes that a holistic approach is required to combat this issue. The method this study presented adopts conceptual and mathematical concept that is based on holistic modelling to design for a bathroom unit using Polysun program. Parametric analysis was also conducted to know how change in variable parameters like location, load and switch-on temperatures will affect the performance of the system designed. This study uncovers the contribution of renewable energy source in the bathroom and the significant contribution it makes in levels of energy consumption and carbon emissions which is attributed to the sustainability of the bathroom system and contribution this in turn makes to tackle the climate change as part of a sustainability-based strategy

A Proposal for Integrated Efficacy-to-Effectiveness (E2E) Clinical Trials

We propose an “efficacy-to-effectiveness” (E2E) clinical trial design, in which an effectiveness trial would commence seamlessly upon completion of the efficacy trial. Efficacy trials use inclusion/exclusion criteria to produce relatively homogeneous samples of participants with the target condition, conducted in settings that foster adherence to rigorous clinical protocols. Effectiveness trials use inclusion/exclusion criteria that generate heterogeneous samples that are more similar to the general patient spectrum, conducted in more varied settings, with protocols that approximate typical clinical care. In E2E trials, results from the efficacy trial component would be used to design the effectiveness trial component, to confirm and/or discern associations between clinical characteristics and treatment effects in typical care, and potentially to test new hypotheses. An E2E approach may improve the evidentiary basis for selecting treatments, expand understanding of the effectiveness of treatments in subgroups with particular clinical features, and foster incorporation of effectiveness information into regulatory processes.National Center for Research Resources (U.S.) (Grant UL1 RR025752)National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (U.S.) (Grant UL1 TR000073

Toward a New Technology and Policy Program (TPP) Curriculum

The mission of the MIT Technology and Policy Program (TPP) is: “Provide an integrative education to scientists and engineers who wish to lead in the development and implementation of responsible strategies and policies for exploitation of technology for the benefit of their communities” (Hastings, 2000). Embedded in the TPP mission statement are several educational requirements: (1) a comprehensive and diverse set of solid analytical skills needed to develop and assess strategies and policies, (2) the flexibility to manage the conflicting interests and values that are present at all stages of the policy process, and (3) the ability to provide leadership at each stage in the policy process. With these concepts in mind, the TPP Curriculum Development Committee will work to place TPP at the forefront of educating the “leaders (researchers and practitioners) of the fields of technology and policy studies” (Hastings, 2000)

Prevalence, Causes and Socio-Economic Determinants of Vision Loss in Cape Town, South Africa

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment in Cape Town, South Africa and to explore socio-economic and demographic predictors of vision loss in this setting. METHODS: A cross sectional population-based survey was conducted in Cape Town. Eighty-two clusters were selected using probability proportionate to size sampling. Within each cluster 35 or 40 people aged 50 years and above were selected using compact segment sampling. Visual acuity of participants was assessed and eyes with a visual acuity less than 6/18 were examined by an ophthalmologist to determine the cause of vision loss. Demographic data (age, gender and education) were collected and a socio-economic status (SES) index was created using principal components analysis. RESULTS: Out of 3100 eligible people, 2750 (89%) were examined. The sample prevalence of bilateral blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60) was 1.4% (95% CI 0.9-1.8). Posterior segment diseases accounted for 65% of blindness and cataract was responsible for 27%. The prevalence of vision loss was highest among people over 80 years (odds ratio (OR) 6.9 95% CI 4.6-10.6), those in the poorest SES group (OR 3.9 95% CI 2.2-6.7) and people with no formal education (OR 5.4 95% CI 1.7-16.6). Cataract surgical coverage was 68% in the poorest SES tertile (68%) compared to 93% in the medium and 100% in the highest tertile. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of blindness among people ≥50 years in Cape Town was lower than expected and the contribution of posterior segment diseases higher than previously reported in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa. There were clear socio-economic disparities in prevalence of vision loss and cataract surgical coverage in this setting which need to be addressed in blindness prevention programs