Eco-innovate: a guide to eco-innovation for SMEs and business coaches

This guide is a practical and comprehensive introduction to eco-innovation addressed primarily to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The booklet overviews emerging business opportunities eco-innovation has to offer to companies that reconsider business models, develop new products, technologies or services, or improve production processes

Paving the pathways towards sustainable future? A critical review of STI policy roadmaps as policy instruments enabling sustainability transitions

Roadmaps and roadmapping techniques receive increasing attention in the Science, Technology and Innovation policy community, notably for the development of strategies and policies to address societal challenges and ambitious goals such as the SDGs. STI policy roadmaps are used to evoke future visions, align actor expectations and formulate, document, plan and implement public policies for long-term, ambitious sustainability goals. As a sophisticated strategic planning process, roadmapping seems appropriate for policy support aiming to foster sustainability transitions. Nevertheless, there is little research on the role and limitations of roadmaps as a policy instrument to support innovation for sustainability transitions. This paper critically assesses selected national and international policy and sectoral roadmaps that focus on technology areas and societal challenges relevant to sustainability and energy transitions. The assessment of the objectives, design features and embeddedness of roadmaps in policy processes shows that current policy roadmaps have several shortfalls. The paper outlines knowledge gaps and research priorities to understand how such limitations might be overcome and draws tentative lessons for future applications of roadmaps as policy instruments for sustainability transitions

Сomparative study of arc-to-glow transition efficiency when use multilayer condensed materials in electric contacts

The paper presents and discusses results of the study of arc to glow transformation at breaking of DC inductive load of a low power (less than 10 J) and low voltage (about 250 V). The ratio in duration of arcing and glowing is investigated in dependence on circuit parameters, gas quenching medium and its pressure and in particular on contact material. The transition, to complete the study, was analyzed also by means of fast photography and radiation spectra measurements. On the basis of the results the conclusions on possibility of control of the arc to glow transformation, for practical use in low power contact switching devices, are formulated.Представлено і обговорено результати дослідження дуги, що горить, при відключенні постійного струму з індуктивним навантаженням малої потужності (менше 10 Дж) і низької напруги (біля 250 В). Відношення тривалості горіння дуги і жевріючого розряду досліджується в залежності від параметрів ланцюга, виду гасильного газу та його тиску і, головним чином, від контактного матеріалу. Для повноти дослідження змінення типу розряду аналізували також за допомогою швидкісної зйомки і вимірювання спектрів випромінювання. На основі одержаних результатів сформульовано висновки про можливість практичного застосування контролю переходу дуги в жевріючий розряд в малопотужних контактах комутуючих пристроїв.Представлены и обсуждены результаты исследования дуги, горящей при отключении постоянного тока с индуктивной нагрузкой малой мощности (менее 10 Дж) и низкого напряжения (около 250 В). Отношение продолжительности горения дуги и тлеющего разряда исследовано в зависимости от параметров цепи, вида гасящего газа и его давления и, главным образом, от контактного материала. Для полноты исследования смену типа разряда анализировали также с помощью скоростной съемки и измерения спектров излучения. На основании полученных результатов сформулированы выводы о возможности практического использования контроля перехода дуги в тлеющий разряд в маломощных контактах коммутирующих устройств

Mapping regional vulnerability in Europe’s energy transition: development and application of an indicator to assess declining employment in four carbon-intensive industries

Europe’s transition to an energy system compatible with limiting global heating to 1.5 °C will require radical changes in energy systems. While this will create substantial new growth industries in clean technologies, some currently important economic activities will decline. The impacts of that transition will not be the same for all regions. We map the economic vulnerability of European regions to ambitious decarbonisation scenarios in terms of employment losses in four carbon-intensive industries. To do so, we develop a composite vulnerability indicator that combines each region’s share of employment in those high-carbon industries with other dimensions of vulnerability and resilience. We then explore how regional patterns of vulnerability are influenced by the technology pathway to 2050, using four scenarios modelled using the European PRIMES model. We show that economic vulnerability to the low-carbon transition is regionally concentrated, with some regions combining high employment shares in industries expected to decline with weak adaptive capacity and high pre-existing unemployment. We also show that there is little variation in regional vulnerability arising from different transition pathways. All scenarios compatible with 1.5 °C involve large declines in all high-carbon sectors we analyse, and as a result, scenario variation does not lead to large variation in relative vulnerability of regions. The results highlight regions that may be in need of additional policy support to diversify their economies and achieve a just transition

Echinococcal disease in Alberta, Canada: more than a calcified opacity

BACKGROUND: Most cases of echinococcal disease (ED) acquired in Canada are thought to be due to the sylvatic form of Echinococcus granulosus, which may be more benign than ED due to either Echinococcus multilocularis or the pastoral form of E. granulosus. There are limited descriptions of the clinical course and outcome of Canadian patients with ED in the modern era. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients hospitalized with echinococcal disease (ED) from 1991 to 2001 in Edmonton, Alberta. RESULTS: Forty-two cases of ED were identified of which 19 were definite, 3 probable, and 20 possible. Further analysis was limited to the 22 definite and probable cases, of which 77% were female and 41% aboriginal, with an age range of 5 to 87 years. Nine patients (40%) had pulmonary involvement and 11 (50%) hepatic involvement. One patient had an intracardiac mass presenting as a cerebrovascular event and one had a splenic cyst. Seven of the 22 patients had combined surgical resection and medical treatment, six had surgical resection of the cyst alone, four had cyst aspiration, one had medical treatment alone and four had no specific treatment. There was no mortality attributable to ED but three patients died of unrelated illnesses. CONCLUSION: Echinococcal disease in northern Alberta has a marked diversity of clinical presentations, and generally has a good prognosis despite a wide variety of therapeutic interventions

Study on Performance of Non-Linear Reactive Power Compensation by Using Active Power Filter under Load Conditions

The paper analyses and examines the efficiency of non-linear reactive power compensation when use the active power filter controlled by an algorithm based on the theory of CPC. The developed physical model of 3-phase active filter has been presented and results of its performance in the system so the linear load and nonlinear RL type are discussed. Particular attention was put on its operation in transient conditions. Based on both simulation and investigation results appropriate practical conclusions are formulated

Performance of LV vacuum contactors with condensed composite multicomponent contacts

Paper presents and discusses the investigated results of LV vacuum contactors with contacts made of selected condensed composite materials under both rated and short circuit conditions of operation.Представлено та обговорюються результати дослідження низьковольтних вакуумних контакторів із контактами, виготовленими з вибраних конденсованих композитів за умов комутаційних випробувань при експлуатації нормальних та коротких ланцюгів.Представлены и обсуждаются результаты исследования низковольтных вакуумных контакторов с контактами, изготовленными из выбранных конденсированных композитов при коммутационных испытаниях в условиях работы нормальных и коротких цепей