Heuristic Optimization of Consumer Electricity Costs Using a Generic Cost Model

Many new demand response strategies are emerging for energy management in smart grids. Real-Time Energy Pricing (RTP) is one important aspect of consumer Demand Side Management (DSM), which encourages consumers to participate in load scheduling. This can help reduce peak demand and improve power system efficiency. The use of Intelligent Decision Support Systems (IDSSs) for load scheduling has become necessary in order to enable consumers to respond to the changing economic value of energy across different hours of the day. The type of scheduling problem encountered by a consumer IDSS is typically NP-hard, which warrants the search for good heuristics with efficient computational performance and ease of implementation. This paper presents an extensive evaluation of a heuristic scheduling algorithm for use in a consumer IDSS. A generic cost model for hourly pricing is utilized, which can be configured for traditional on/off peak pricing, RTP, Time of Use Pricing (TOUP), Two-Tier Pricing (2TP) and combinations thereof. The heuristic greedily schedules controllable appliances to minimize smart appliance energy costs and has a polynomial worst-case computation time. Extensive computational experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm and the obtained results indicate the gaps between the optimal achievable costs are negligible

Human factor influences on effective computer aided design implementation.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) has the capability to influence a company's competitiveness in terms of quality, flexibility and cost effectiveness of design. Consequently, the opportunities provided by the efficient and effective use of CAD techniques are vital to a company's operational and business success.The aims of this research have been to; 1 Ascertain and identify the contribution and relevance of human factor and technological issues within a successful CAD implementation methodology. 2. Develop a human factor understanding which, when incorporated into an implementation methodology aids the introduction of CAD technology and increases the likelihood of realising opportunities. The initial research is based on a review of the literature on CAD and a pilot study of six companies employing CAD. This identifies the mix of issues involved during implementation as being, Technical, Organisational and Human. It also highlights the main problems experienced by companies as a function of the levels of Support, Direction and Communication. The above issues have been incorporated into a CAD introduction framework based on quality criteria. The results of this initial stage of the research have been substantiated by in-depth case studies of three companies, in various stages of CAD adoption and "Best Practice" activities have been identified for each area of the framework and related to the overall performance of the companies.To widen the scope of the investigation and provide more evidence, the framework was then employed in the in-depth analysis of six further case studies. These identified CAD support as playing a key role in maximising CAD potential.From this evidence a "Support Framework" has been proposed and validated via the results of a written postal questionnaire distributed to 1000 UK companies. Evidence from the 100 respondents of the postal survey strongly supports the proposition and suggests that companies are experiencing human problems, especially in the area of advanced 3D CAD. The problems are a result of inadequate internal support systems and can be overcome by the methods proposed by this research

Air Bag Parameter Study with Out-Of-Position Small Female Test Devices

The development of the Advanced Restraint System has lead to an innovative way in which we evaluate the systems effect on the occupant. This paper presents some initial investigation into the driver airbag system that consists of an inflator, cushion fold, tear seam pattern, and offset of the airbag cover to steering wheel rim plane. An initial DOE is reviewed to establish significant parameters and to identify equations for further investigation

Engagement in the digital age:Understanding “what works” for participatory technologies in environmental decision-making

Effective engagement is crucial for enhancing environmental decision-making processes, fostering more sustainable and equitable outcomes. However, the success of engagement is highly variable and context-dependent. While theoretical frameworks have been developed to explain outcome variance in engagement in environmental decision-making, they have not yet been tested in digital contexts, leaving their applicability to digital engagement processes unclear. More broadly, there are unanswered questions about the effectiveness of digital tools in achieving the goals of engagement, which have become increasingly pertinent amidst growing concerns about the potential of digital technologies for exacerbating exclusions, ethical issues, and systematically undermining democratic progress. This paper addresses this evidence gap by presenting findings from interviews with practitioners in UK public, private, and third sector organisations. Our results provide empirical insights into the technical, ethical, and inclusivity debates surrounding digital tools and their effectiveness in promoting accessible engagement, high-quality social interaction, place-based decision-making, and more trustworthy and credible outcomes. Our findings indicate that while current engagement theories are applicable to digital environments, the key explanatory factors acquire new dimensions in digital compared to in-person contexts. Drawing on the findings, this study contributes novel insights to expand current theory for explaining “what works” in engagement in environmental decisions, enhancing its relevance and applicability in the digital age. The paper concludes with evidence-led recommendations for environmental practitioners to improve engagement processes in digital and remote settings.</p

Engagement in the digital age:Understanding “what works” for participatory technologies in environmental decision-making

Effective engagement is crucial for enhancing environmental decision-making processes, fostering more sustainable and equitable outcomes. However, the success of engagement is highly variable and context-dependent. While theoretical frameworks have been developed to explain outcome variance in engagement in environmental decision-making, they have not yet been tested in digital contexts, leaving their applicability to digital engagement processes unclear. More broadly, there are unanswered questions about the effectiveness of digital tools in achieving the goals of engagement, which have become increasingly pertinent amidst growing concerns about the potential of digital technologies for exacerbating exclusions, ethical issues, and systematically undermining democratic progress. This paper addresses this evidence gap by presenting findings from interviews with practitioners in UK public, private, and third sector organisations. Our results provide empirical insights into the technical, ethical, and inclusivity debates surrounding digital tools and their effectiveness in promoting accessible engagement, high-quality social interaction, place-based decision-making, and more trustworthy and credible outcomes. Our findings indicate that while current engagement theories are applicable to digital environments, the key explanatory factors acquire new dimensions in digital compared to in-person contexts. Drawing on the findings, this study contributes novel insights to expand current theory for explaining “what works” in engagement in environmental decisions, enhancing its relevance and applicability in the digital age. The paper concludes with evidence-led recommendations for environmental practitioners to improve engagement processes in digital and remote settings.</p