An Improved Techno-Economic Approach to Determination of More Precise Installed Parameter for Small Hydropower Plants

Designing a small hydropower plant (SHPP) necessitates fulfillment of energy and ecological constraints, so a well-defined design flow is of the utmost significance. The main parameters of each SHPP are determined by appropriate techno-economic studies, whereas an improved approach to defining more precise SHPP installed parameter is presented in this paper. The SHPP installed parameter is the ratio of the design flow and averaged perennial flow obtained from the flow duration curve at the planned water intake location. Previous experiences in the design of SHPPs have shown that the SHPP installed parameter has a value in a wide range without the existence of an unambiguous equation for its determination. Therefore, with this aim, the thirty-eight (38) small watercources in the territory of Montenegro, denominated for the construction of SHPPs, have been investigated. SHPPs are divided into two groups depending on the installed capacity and the method of calculating the purchase price of electricity. For both groups, the range of SHPP installed parameter is determined according to the technical and economic criteria: the highest electricity production, the highest income, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period (PB)

An Improved Techno-Economic Approach to Determination of More Precise Installed Parameter for Small Hydropower Plants

Designing a small hydropower plant (SHPP) necessitates fulfillment of energy and ecological constraints, so a well-defined design flow is of the utmost significance. The main parameters of each SHPP are determined by appropriate techno-economic studies, whereas an improved approach to defining more precise SHPP installed parameter is presented in this paper. The SHPP installed parameter is the ratio of the design flow and averaged perennial flow obtained from the flow duration curve at the planned water intake location. Previous experiences in the design of SHPPs have shown that the SHPP installed parameter has a value in a wide range without the existence of an unambiguous equation for its determination. Therefore, with this aim, the thirty-eight (38) small watercources in the territory of Montenegro, denominated for the construction of SHPPs, have been investigated. SHPPs are divided into two groups depending on the installed capacity and the method of calculating the purchase price of electricity. For both groups, the range of SHPP installed parameter is determined according to the technical and economic criteria: the highest electricity production, the highest income, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period (PB)

ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO THE MODELLING OF CO2 EMISSION FROM PASSENGER VEHICLES

Sažetak Trajni porast broja vozila koja kao pogonsko gorivo troše fosilna goriva, značajno doprinose stalnom porastu emisije ugljičnog dioksida (CO2) u atmosferu. Vrlo je bitno kvantificirati emitiranu količinu ovog plina u atmosferu. U tu svrhu je koncipirano više modela i metodologija. U ovom radu je prikazan inovativni model REPAS, koji uzima u obzir specifičnosti koje nisu uzeli u obzir ostali modeli, a koje su karakteristične za zemlje u tranziciji [1]. Na osnovi ovog modela je izrađen softver REPAS 1.1 koji služi za izračunavanje ukupno emitirane količine CO2 i specifične emisije CO2, a sadrži podatke za tvornički deklarirane utroške goriva za 1620 tipova vozila različitih proizvođača. U radu je prikazana primjena ovog modela na vozni park Crne Gore. Rezultati primjene ovog modela su uspoređeni s rezultatima dobivenim primjenom modela COPERT III i REMODIO, pri čemu su dobivena značajna odstupanja.Abstract Constant increase in the number of vehicles using for drive fossil fuels considerably contributes to constant increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) atmospheric emission. It is extremely important to quantify the volume of the gas in question emitted into the atmosphere. Several models and methodologies have been elaborated for this purpose. The paper presents the innovative model REPAS, taking into account certain specific features not included by other models, proper to transition countries [1]. Based on the model, software REPAS 1.1 has been elaborated, serving for the calculation of totally emitted CO2 volume and specific CO2 emission, involving data for fuel use according to manufacturer declaration for 1,620 vehicle types by various manufacturers. The paper presents the model’s application to the vehicle pool of the Republic of Montenegro. The results of applying the model have been compared to those obtained through the application of the models COPERT III and REMODIO, revealing considerable aberrations

Key challenges in the status analysis for the sustainable urban mobility plan in Podgorica, Montenegro

The paper presents the results of the application of a practical approach for collecting data, which provides a simple, cost efficient, and easily reproducible method that was applied to obtain the necessary data for the status analysis of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. Important data for the estimation of the existing condition of the traffic system were collected through desk research from the appropriate institutions and organizations. Several surveys and focus group interviews were conducted, in which about 5000 residents of Podgorica participated. In addition to answering questions, residents made numerous suggestions, confirming the correctness of a participatory approach in the new traffic planning paradigm that provides the SUMP with crucial advantages. A manual cordon count of traffic on five bridges for the traffic of the motor vehicles, as well as on two pedestrian-only bridges, was performed by students from the study program Road Traffic, and there are plans to repeat this in the coming years in order to enable more reliable monitoring and evaluation of the obtained data. Contemporary quality management tools such as BYPAD and ParkPAD were also used to assess the status of cycling and parking policy, respectively. It is especially important to emphasize that Podgorica is the first city in the West Balkans, and the fourth city in Europe, in which the ParkPAD tool was applied. A wide range of negative phenomena and trends was identified, like a rapid increase in the number of registered vehicles, an increase in the motorization rate and the number of traffic accidents, increased non-compliance with traffic rules, excessive use of passenger cars and auto-taxi vehicles, insufficient use of unattractive public transport, walking and cycling, etc. Based on the data collected, key challenges in status analysis in Podgorica were identified, which the SUMP should try to overcome. View Full-Text Keywords: sustainability urban mobility plan (SUMP), urban planning, vehicles, parking, public transportation, walking, cyclingpublishedVersio

Assessment of Socio-Economic Benefits from the Construction of Bypasses of Transport Infrastructure

The aim of the study is to analyse the feasibility of the second phase of the construction of the Rožaje (Montenegro) bypass project. The objectives of the construction of this bypass are to eliminate or reduce existing problems by redirecting transit flows to the bypass. Based on the observed economic costs of construction and the expected economic benefits from the project in a 20-year period, by applying Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), the indicators of the project economic feasibility were determined. As part of the socio-economic analysis of the project feasibility, the expected benefits for transport users (savings in travel time and savings in the vehicle exploitation costs), as well as external impacts (impacts on safety and impacts on the environment) were assessed. The analysis showed the dominant savings are in travel time and vehicle exploitation costs. The economic net present value (ENPV) of this project is positive and amounts to EUR 55 054 502, the economic internal rate of return (EIRR) is 26.88% (with a discount rate of 5%), while the benefit-cost ratio (B/CR) is 4.96. All scenarios developed within the Project Sensitivity Analysis have confirmed that this project has satisfactory economic justification

The techno-economic analysis of small hydropower plants installed parameters for three different mountain watercourses

In the last decade, hydrological data measurements, acquisitions and analyses of various Montenegrin mountain watercourses were carried out comprehensively. The data were analyzed respecting the hitherto known approaches in determining the small hydropower plant (SHPP) installed parameters. The SHPP installed parameter Ki is the ratio of the design flow and averaged perennial flow obtained from the flow duration curve at the planned water intake location. Due to the specifics of the rivers, it was not possible to define the installed parameters easily and clearly. For this reason, an improved multidisciplinary approach was conducted, which would lead to clearer general guidelines for quality and efficient determination of the SHPPs installed parameter respecting environmental requirements for each of them. The range of SHPP installed parameters is determined according to the technical and economic criteria. In this paper, the conclusions for three different SHPPs are presented comparing the calculated results and in-situ ones

Financial and socio-economic effects of investment in the context of dog population management

The modern world faces serious challenges associated with the presence of stray dogs on the streets, especially in urban areas. Vardar Planning Region in North Macedonia, which consists of nine municipalities, experiences such challenges. According to current reports, the number of stray dogs on the streets of cities in this region has increased, which has resulted in an increase in the number of dog attacks on residents. As the existing capacities are small in the registered shelters, we considered the possibility of building a new shelter for stray dogs to meet the needs of this region. The goal of our paper is the evaluation of the financial and socio-economic justifications for the construction of a shelter for stray dogs in the Vardar Planning Region (VPR). The results of the financial justification analysis show that the project does not provide satisfactory financial results. Namely, the Financial Net Present Value (FNPV) is negative, with a value of EUR 75,291. The Financial Internal Rate of Return (FIRR) is 0.57%, lower than the discount rate, which is not acceptable for a private investor. The Financial Benefit–Cost Ratio (FB/CR) of this project is 0.925, suggesting that the total discounted costs are greater than the total discounted revenues. On the other hand, the expected socio-economic benefits from this project are multifaceted, including savings in stray dog bite costs, savings in the cost of traffic accidents caused by stray dogs, and savings in the treatment of diseases caused by stray dogs. The results of the economic analysis show that this investment has full socio-economic justification and that it should be implemented. The Economic Net Present Value (ENPV) is positive and amounts to EUR 789,916. The Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) is 25.94% and the Economic Benefit–Cost Ratio (EB/CR) amounts to 1.90, i.e., greater than 1. The results of the sensitivity analysis also confirm the justification for the realization of this project

The Relationship between E-Commerce and Firm Performance: The Mediating Role of Internet Sales Channels

This paper postulates that the effect of e-commerce on firm performance is not direct and needs to be examined using mediating factors. The Ordinary Least-Squares (OLS) model was employed with the data of the Flash Eurobarometer 439 Survey entitled The Use of Online Marketplaces and Search Engines by small and medium enterprises. The obtained findings provide support for the mediating hypothesis. To be more precise, while the relationship between e-commerce and firm performance is negative, it is positively mediated by certain types of internet sales channels. In particular, the benefits of e-commerce in terms of higher sales are more pronounced when firms use commercial websites and online marketplaces. On the other hand, the interaction between e-commerce and search engines has an insignificant effect on firm performance. This study advances research on e-commerce by emphasizing the importance of mediating effect

Valorization of potentials of wind energy in Montenegro

Investments in energy sector are usually long term processes both in construction and exploitation phase, and therefore require many conditions to be satisfied, mostly from legislative and technical sector. While the legislative can change in accordance with economy activities in the country, technical data (on-site measurements) which are the main base for energy facility design, need to be reliable as much as possible. Wind energy has a significant global potential which exceeds the world’s electrical energy consumptions. This paper presents the estimation of wind energy potentials in Montenegro, based on all previous available studies in this field. The wind energy potential in Montenegro is based on a combination of 3-D numerical simulations of wind fields on the entire territory, and comprehensive on-site measurements. The preliminary studies show that there is a potential of areas with high and mean values of a capacity factor about 400 MW, and annual production of 900 GWh of electric energy. The share of wind parks in the total installed power in Montenegro is planned to be about 8%, while an adequate ratio of wind parks in an annual production from renewable sources (large hydro power plants are included here) is estimated to be 11.4%. The paper presents the current state of art in the field of building of wind parks in Montenegro. A particular attention was paid to the legislation framework and strategic documents in the energy area in Montenegro

Experimental and Numerical Testing of Ambient Temperature Impact on Lifespans of Cuffs of Vehicles’ Steering Systems

The steering system represents one of the most important systems of active safety in vehicles. The process of a steering system failure usually starts with the failure of its protective element (cuff). Numerous factors influence a cuff’s lifespan, but the research subject of this paper is the impact of ambient temperature. The goal of this research is the experimental verification of the finding that vehicles used in northern areas require more frequent interventions in their steering systems than vehicles used in the south. A simulator performing a motion similar to the work of a cuff during a vehicle’s motion was made for the purpose of the research. A refrigerating chamber where cuffs were tested at temperatures from −4 °C to −20 °C was also made. A numerical analysis, with the ANSYS software environment, was also carried out. The numerical analysis shows that the failure of a cuff could be expected at almost the same point at which it was experimentally proven. Therefore, the failure, namely the breaking of a cuff, is not only a consequence of the material’s fatigue due to a big number of oscillations, but it also depends upon the impact of ambient temperature where the vehicle is used