Imagining renewable energy: towards a Social Energy Systems approach to community renewable energy projects in the Global South

Rural community energy projects in the Global South have too frequently been framed within a top-down technologically-driven framework that limits their ability to provide sustainable solutions to energy poverty and improving livelihoods. This framing is linked to how energy interventions are being imagined and constructed by key actors in the sector, via particular sociotechnical imaginaries through which a set of increasingly universalised energy futures for rural communities is prescribed. Projects are too frequently reverse-engineered through the lens of particular combinations of technologies, financial models and delivery mechanisms, rather than by attending to the particular energy needs/aspirations of individual communities. Assumptions over the association between energy access and livelihood enhancement have also reinforced a technocratic determination of appropriate system scale and a search for universalised ‘scaleable’ delivery models. There is, however, no necessary causation between scaleability and outcomes – appropriate implementation scales are not purely determined by technical or financial considerations, rather it is the social scale via which optimum forms of local participation and ownership can be achieved. To operationalise this concern for social space we propose a Social Energy Systems (SES) approach that is advanced via exploration of the interactions between three distinct but mutually edifying variants of energy literacy – energy systems literacy, project community literacy and political literacy

Growth and physical properties of magnetite thin films

This project focused on two aspects of magnetite thin films. The first was to find optimum parameters and conditions for deposition of stoichiometeric Magnetite films using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The second aspect was the characterization of the magnetic and electrical properties in order to broaden the spectrum of understanding of PLD Magnetite films. These properties were also investigated in terms of the substrates on which the films were deposited. Discussed in this thesis are deposition parameters, structural characteristics, magnetic and electrical characteristics of the films in terms of different substrates and film thicknesses. The discussion consists of structural parameters obtained using X- ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electric properties such as resistance as a function of temperature and voltage dependence on the applied current. The magnetic properties measured were the magneto-resistance, M-H hysteresis loop, and magnetization as a function of temperature. The results obtained are then compared with pre-existing literature data. It will be shown that there is an impurity phase that may be seen when magnetite films are deposited on Sillicon dioxide substrates

Seating as a cultural expression : a critical reading of seating in non-secular buddhist contexts in colonial Sri Lanka

Objects used to assist posture were associated with socio-cultural values of social status and hierarchy as well as cultural values ever since man began to utilize objects for functional purpose. The colonial Sri Lanka is characterized by emergence of new social categories, culture and identity. The mingling of traditional caste with a new concept of class and role played by newly introduced Christianity was crucial in this regard. These social changes resulted in a change of perception towards material objects creating a seminal change from the earlier practices built upon Buddhist culture. Accordingly, this article examines how seating used for preaching in Buddhist context changed with this socio-cultural change. A literature based study on pre-colonial and colonial usage of furniture was carried out with special emphasis on non-secular contexts. Existing examples from the late 19th century when the changes became clearly apparent were studied in detail. Influence of pulpits and celebrant chairs used in Christian preaching is observed. New meaning was derived from integrated design elements borrowed from Buddhist culture and prevailing forms of Christianity. Additionally, colonial chairs of authority and the new role of the preaching monk as a ‘leader’ seemed to have been aligned in creating new meaning for seating

The development and use of real-time PCR for the quantification of nitrifiers in activated sludge

Chemical analytical data has long been used to monitor the performance of activated sludge plants even though the process relies on the performance of microorganisms. It is now evident that a rapid and reliable quantitative method is required, to be able to monitor the organisms responsible for nutrient transformation and their activities, allowing avenues for more efficient nutrient removal. The development of real-time or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) also known as TaqMan or 5'-nuclease assay has allowed the rapid, quantitative analysis of DNA templates, eliminating some of the variability traditionally associated with other quantitative techniques. In this study analysis of Nitrospira spp., one of the key organisms in nitrite oxidation in wastewater treatment, was used to validate real-time PCR for the their quantification in activated sludge. A probe and primer set, targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Nitrospira spp. was designed according to the constraints of the TaqMan specifications. Samples used to evaluate the method included DNA from the sludge from full-scale wastewater treatment plants and laboratory scale systems. The reproducibility, quantitative efficiency and specificity were assessed in the evaluation. It was concluded that the method is sensitive and reproducible but has some constraints on the quantitative efficiency. A survey of full-scale systems for Nitrospira spp. was carried out and the results are presented here