A detailed review on current status of energy efficiency improvement in the Swiss industry sector

While quantitative methods for tracking the evolution of energy efficiency (EE) in industry do exist, these cannot always be directly applied, mainly due to lack of data on physical activity levels, as encountered in Switzerland. Therefore, a bottom-up method is developed and tested for estimating the sectoral physical activity levels in Switzerland. On this basis, sector-specific EE indices are determined. The results show that during the period 2009–2016, EE improved most in the paper sector (3.3% p.a.), followed by minerals (2.3% p.a.) and food (1.6% p.a.) sectors while the levels have remained approximately unchanged in chemical and metal sectors. Furthermore, the annual change in final energy demand was decomposed into changes of physical production, price levels and EE. The analysis concluded that only the food sector performed well according to all performance indicators. The detailed analysis of the Swiss target agreements’ data has revealed major final energy savings in chemical and food sectors during the period 2000–2016. Among the different categories of EE measures, process related measures have proven to yield the highest energy savings across all sectors. The results indicate the successful implementation of EE measures in Swiss industry, favored by the relatively strict Swiss regulatory framework and its target agreement mechanism

Meta-analysis of real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies using individual participant data: How is brain regulation mediated?

An increasing number of studies using real-time fMRI neurofeedback have demonstrated that successful regulation of neural activity is possible in various brain regions. Since these studies focused on the regulated region(s), little is known about the target-independent mechanisms associated with neurofeedback-guided control of brain activation, i.e. the regulating network. While the specificity of the activation during self-regulation is an important factor, no study has effectively determined the network involved in self-regulation in general. In an effort to detect regions that are responsible for the act of brain regulation, we performed a post-hoc analysis of data involving different target regions based on studies from different research groups. We included twelve suitable studies that examined nine different target regions amounting to a total of 175 subjects and 899 neurofeedback runs. Data analysis included a standard first- (single subject, extracting main paradigm) and second-level (single subject, all runs) general linear model (GLM) analysis of all participants taking into account the individual timing. Subsequently, at the third level, a random effects model GLM included all subjects of all studies, resulting in an overall mixed effects model. Since four of the twelve studies had a reduced field of view (FoV), we repeated the same analysis in a subsample of eight studies that had a well-overlapping FoV to obtain a more global picture of self-regulation. The GLM analysis revealed that the anterior insula as well as the basal ganglia, notably the striatum, were consistently active during the regulation of brain activation across the studies. The anterior insula has been implicated in interoceptive awareness of the body and cognitive control. Basal ganglia are involved in procedural learning, visuomotor integration and other higher cognitive processes including motivation. The larger FoV analysis yielded additional activations in the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, the temporo-parietal area and the visual association areas including the temporo-occipital junction. In conclusion, we demonstrate that several key regions, such as the anterior insula and the basal ganglia, are consistently activated during self-regulation in real-time fMRI neurofeedback independent of the targeted region-of-interest. Our results imply that if the real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies target regions of this regulation network, such as the anterior insula, care should be given whether activation changes are related to successful regulation, or related to the regulation process per se. Furthermore, future research is needed to determine how activation within this regulation network is related to neurofeedback success

The Nachtlichter app: a citizen science tool for documenting outdoor light sources in public space

The relationship between satellite based measurements of city radiance at night and the numbers and types of physical lights installed on the ground is not well understood. Here we present the "Nachtlichter app", which was developed to enable citizen scientists to classify and count light sources along street segments over large spatial scales. The project and app were co-designed: citizen scientists played key roles in the app development, testing, and recruitment, as well as in analysis of the data. In addition to describing the app itself and the data format, we provide a general overview of the project, including training materials, data cleaning, and the result of some basic data consistency checks

General Business Model Patterns for Local Energy Management Concepts

The transition towards a more sustainable global energy system, significantly relying on renewable energies and decentralized energy systems, requires a deep reorganization of the energy sector. The way how energy services are generated, delivered and traded is expected to be very different in the coming years. Business model innovation is recognized as a key driver for the successful implementation of the energy turnaround. This work contributes to this topic by introducing a heuristic methodology easing the identification of general business model patterns best suited for Local Energy Management concepts such as Energy Hubs. A conceptual framework characterizing the Local Energy Management business model solution space is developed. Three reference business model patterns providing orientation across the defined solution space are identified, analyzed and compared. Through a market review a number of successfully implemented innovative business models have been analyzed and allocated within the defined solution space. The outcomes of this work offer to potential stakeholders a starting point and guidelines for the business model innovation process, as well as insights for policy makers on challenges and opportunities related to Local Energy Management concepts

Business model innovation for Local Energy Management: a perspective from Swiss utilities

The successful deployment of the energy transition relies on a deep reorganization of the energy market. Business model innovation is recognized as a key driver of this process. This work contributes to this topic by providing to potential Local Energy Management stakeholders and policy makers a conceptual framework guiding the Local Energy Management business model innovation. The main determinants characterizing Local Energy Management concepts and impacting its business model innovation are identified through literature reviews on distributed generation typologies and customer/investor preferences related to new business opportunities emerging with the energy transition. Afterwards, the relation between the identified determinants and the Local Energy Management business model solution space is analyzed based on semi-structured interviews with managers of Swiss utilities companies. The collected managers’ preferences serve as explorative indicators supporting the business model innovation process and provide insights to policy makers on challenges and opportunities related to Local Energy Management

A detailed review on current status of energy efficiency improvement in the Swiss industry sector

While quantitative methods for tracking the evolution of energy efficiency (EE) in industry do exist, these cannot always be directly applied, mainly due to lack of data on physical activity levels, as encountered in Switzerland. Therefore, a bottom-up method is developed and tested for estimating the sectoral physical activity levels in Switzerland. On this basis, sector-specific EE indices are determined. The results show that during the period 2009–2016, EE improved most in the paper sector (3.3% p.a.), followed by minerals (2.3% p.a.) and food (1.6% p.a.) sectors while the levels have remained approximately unchanged in chemical and metal sectors. Further-more, the annual change in final energy demand was decomposed into changes of physical production, price levels and EE. The analysis concluded that only the food sector performed well according to all performance indicators. The detailed analysis of the Swiss target agreements’ data has revealed major final energy savings in chemical and food sectors during the period 2000–2016. Among the different categories of EE measures, process related measures have proven to yield the highest energy savings across all sectors. The results indicate the successful implementation of EE measures in Swiss industry, favored by the relatively strict Swiss regulatory framework and its target agreement mechanism