Nanofood: Legal and Regulatory Challenges

Nanotechnology will have a significant impact on food production in a variety of ways, both directly and indirectly. The growth and complexity of nanotechnology in food applications poses new challenges for the existing food regulation as well as the regulatory authority. This article seeks to examine the legal and regulatory challenges posed by the nanotechnology applications in the food industry. This article reviews some of the relevant legislation in the U.S. and E.U. in dealing with nanofood and the industry. This article also provides an assessment on the adequacy of those laws and identifies the possible gaps and weaknesses in them

Registration of nanomaterials and nano-enabled products: solution in regulation and governance or new challenge.

Regulation and governance of infinite number and diversified types of engineered nanomaterials has been a genuine challenge for the regulators around the world in recent times. Recent experience with the genetically modified food compelled the regulators, specially from the Europe, to take cautious move from the very beginning regarding nanomaterials. One of the initial tasks in relation to regulation and governance is the registration of nanomaterials and development of the nano-enabled product registers. This paper intends to shed focus on and evaluate the development of different registers on materials and products. It is apparent that though some European regulators have initiated the registration process, other regulators like Australia and the USA are skeptical about the success of such initiative. Albeit, in order to provide remedies for any possible future damage arising out of defective products or material the importance of such databases cannot be ignored

Simulating the annual energy yield of a rotationally asymmetrical optical concentrator.

This paper simulates the annual energy yield of a concentrator called the rotationally asymmetrical dielectric totally internally reflective concentrator (RADTIRC). One specific design of the RADTIRC is assumed to be installed in Berlin/Brandenburg, Germany. Simulation and experimental work have been carried out to determine the optical concentration gain under direct and diffuse radiations. Based on the analysis, it was found that the yearly energy yield was increased by a factor of 2.29 when the RADTIRC-PV module was used when compared with the non-concentrating PV module

Potential of implementing the low concentration photovoltaic systems in the United Kingdom

This paper discusses the prospect of integrating a novel type of low concentration photovoltaic (LCPV) design known as the rotationally asymmetrical compound parabolic concentrator (RACPC) in a building in the United Kingdom. This is done by proposing a number of building integration designs to create a zero carbon building. A cost reduction analysis of installing the LCPV systems in the country is also presented. It was found that an RACPC design could reduce the LCPV module's manufacturing cost by 31.75% and the LCPV module's cost per unit power output by 33.87% when compared with the conventional PV module

Novel optical concentrator technology for building integrated photovoltaic systems.

This paper describes a novel type of solar concentrator for use in Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Systems. The new design called rotationally asymmetrical compound parabolic concentrator (RACPC) is based on a novel algorithm that caters for the variation of the position of the sun throughout the day and throughout the year. The RACPC is designed to tackle the following issues: (i) to increase the electrical output of a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system by providing sufficient concentration gain; (ii) to minimise the usage of the PV material with the corresponding reduction of CPV system cost, and (iii) to eliminate the requirement of mechanical tracking by providing a wide field-of-view. The experimental results presented here indicate that the RACPC increases the short circuit current by 3.01x when compared with a bare solar cell

Using Static Concentrator Technology to Achieve Global Energy Goal

Solar energy has demonstrated promising prospects in satisfying energy requirements, specifically through solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Despite that, the cost of installation is deemed as the main hurdle to the widespread uptake of solar PV systems due to the use of expensive PV material in the module. At this point, we argue that a reduction in PV cost could be achieved through the usage of concentrator—which are commonly produced from polymers. A solar concentrator is a type of lens that is capable of increasing the collection of sun rays and focusing them onto a lesser PV area. The cost of the solar module could then be reduced on the assumption that the cost of introducing the solar concentrator in the solar module design is much lower than the cost of the removed PV material. Static concentrators, in particular, have great promise due to their ability to be integrated at any place of the building, usually on the building facade, windows and roof, due to their low geometrical concentration. This paper provides a historic context on the development of solar concentrators and showcases the latest technological development in static photovoltaic concentrators including non-imaging compound parabolic concentrator, V-trough, luminescent solar concentrator and quantum dot concentrator. We anticipated that the static low concentrating PV (LCPV) system could serve to enhance the penetration of PV technology in the long run to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7—to open an avenue to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030

Annual prediction output of an RADTIRC-PV module

The number of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations has been increasing worldwide but the high capital cost of installation continues to be the main challenge, particularly in many developing countries. The solar concentrator, a device that focuses the sunlight onto a small area, has the potential to minimize the use of expensive PV material while maintaining the system's performance, ultimately bringing down its overall cost. This study aims to predict the annual electrical output of a specific concentrator design called the rotationally asymmetrical dielectric totally internally reflecting concentrator (RADTIRC). The aforementioned design is assumed to be installed in Berlin/Brandenburg, Germany. First, a short review of concentrators is provided. Next, a description of the RADTIRC and the previous research that revolved around it are provided. Afterwards, the key parameters that are needed to determine the annual electrical output of the RADTIRC are explained before presenting the results of the simulations. It was found that the yearly energy yield was increased by a factor of 2.29 when the RADTIRC-PV module was used when compared with the non-concentrating PV module

Retention of Communications Data: A Bumpy Road Ahead, 22 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 731 (2004)

The EU Electronic Privacy Directive of 2002 requires members to ensure the confidentiality of communications but allows member states to restrict the scope of such protection for national security and defense reasons as well as to prevent, investigate detect and prosecute crimes. Despite the criticism a provision on retention of communications date was inserted, reversing thus the position taken under the previous EU Telecommunications Privacy Directive of 1997. This article presents the evolution of the EU Electronic Privacy Directive of 2002 starting from the initial proposal of 2000 which did not include a retention of data provision, to the final version drafted after the events of September 11 and the external pressure from the United States. Next the authors focus on the legal framework adopted by the U.K., the only country in the European Union which had comprehensive legislation in this matter, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, while they also examine the strong criticism that the UK regime has faced based predominately on the extensive reach of such legislation and the threat it would pose to civil liberties and human rights. The new EU Electronic Privacy Directive of 2002 has faced similar criticism by several parties also raising the issues of consumer privacy concern and confidence and the extensive burden placed on the telecommunication companies and the ISPs. The article concludes that if the EU wants to achieve its goal to become the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, it needs to strike a balance between fighting crime and terrorism and the protection of the fundamental rights of the individual. Such balance could be achieved where the principles of necessity, appropriateness and proportionality are followed

Big Data: Big Challenges to Privacy and Data Protection

This paper seeks to analyse the benefits of big data and more importantly the challenges it pose to the subject of privacy and data protection. First, the nature of big data will be briefly deliberated before presenting the potential of big data in the present days. Afterwards, the issue of privacy and data protection is highlighted before discussing the challenges of implementing this issue in big data. In conclusion, the paper will put forward the debate on the adequacy of the existing legal framework in protecting personal data in the era of big data