Fuel type preference of taxi driver and its implications for air emissions

Natural gas became an available fuel for taxis in 2005 and had occupied a market share of 43.6% in taxi industry till 2010 in Nanjing, China. To investigate the energy replacement pattern as well as the pollutants reduction potential of the taxi industry, first, the fuel preference determinants of taxi drivers for their next taxis are analyzed. Results show that as an important alternative for the traditional gasoline, natural gas is widely accepted (75%) by taxi drivers. Different from the previous studies which focused on the early stage of cleaner fuel replacement, taxi drivers with various characteristics (such as age, working experience, and education level) are consistent with their fuel preference when they choose their next taxis. Result suggests that policies that concern consumers with specific characteristics may have little effects on the change of the market share, when the alternative fuel market has been developed well. In addition, the increased share of gas in the fuel market achieves a 7.2% reduction of energy consumption. Considering life cycle emissions, the following air pollutants, namely Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), carbonic oxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO_x), particulate matters (PM) and hydrocarbons (C_xH_y), gain 10.0%, 3.5%, 20.5%, 36.1%, and 26.4% of reduction respectively. Assuming all taxi fleets powered by natural gas with local policy intervention, the energy conservation and the five major air pollutant emissions could achieve the maximum reductions with 12.2%, 16.0%, 8.8%, 22.5%, 44.2%, and 49.4% correspondingly.     

马鞍山市住宅冬季能耗调查

对马鞍山市60户住宅冬季能耗进行了问卷调查,分析了住宅建筑、采暖设备等的内容与特点,统计了冬季电、天然气和水的消耗,得出马鞍山市住宅冬季能耗相关指标;并比较了马鞍山市与长沙、上海等城市住宅的能耗调查结果,比较结果表明：虽然马鞍山市冬季平均能耗比同气候地区的大城市低,但采暖电耗并不比大城市低。     

A proposal for environmental indicators towards industrial building sustainable assessment

The construction sector carries out a very important role in the development of society. It is a basic component of economic activity, having a great influence on employment generation and country growth. The sector generates appreciable environmental changes and effects throughout the planet, leading to gradual exhaustion of natural resources and contamination of basic elements, such as air, water and soil. Recently, there have been advances in favour of more environmentally friendly buildings. Basically, sustainable construction has centred on residential and office buildings. It could be said that there is a lack of sustainability in the construction of industrial buildings, as they present characteristics which differ from other building typologies. This article aims to assess and analyze industrial building environmental effects, and considers a set of green study criteria, such as: location, materials, energy and water consumption, construction and deconstruction characteristics, and waste management in industrial building. At the same time, the studies are hierarchically structured into different assessment elements, such as: criteria, subcriteria and, finally, indicators, comprising the assessment model.     

Determinants of the marginal willingness to pay for improved domestic water and irrigation in partially electrified Rwandan villages

Access to water for domestic and irrigation uses remains limited across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas. While the technical feasibility of implementing innovative technologies to improve water supply has been often evaluated, less is known about the drivers that motivate users to pay for obtaining the inherent benefits of improved water supply. In this article, the determinants of the marginal willingness to pay (mWTP) for improved domestic and irrigation water are investigated. For this purpose, a contingent valuation study is performed in rural Rwanda. This study uses survey data from 316 households situated in 8 villages, in which ~20% of the households receive electricity thanks to microgrids powered by solar energy. It is found that the mWTP for improved domestic water supply is influenced by the proportion of children in the household, business ownership, and satisfaction with water quantity and quality. The mWTP for irrigation is determined by respondent education, business ownership and crop area planted. This paper contributes to the literature by allowing a comparison of the determinants of the mWTP for improved domestic water supply to the determinants of the mWTP for irrigation. Another contribution is to examine the mWTP for improved water infrastructure in partially electrified villages. Identifying areas with high marginal benefits from water can guide infrastructure investment and electrification efforts while improving well-being and increasing revenues in rural areas.     

Quantifying the rebound effects of residential solar panel adoption

Customers who adopt solar panels can reduce their energy bills and lower the effective average electricity prices they pay. When the price falls, a solar consumer might consume more electricity than before – a solar rebound effect. We provide the first empirical evidence of residential solar rebound effects in the U.S. We use household level hourly and daily electricity meter data as well as hourly solar panel electricity generation data from 277 solar homes and about 4000 non-solar homes from 2013 to 2017 in Phoenix Arizona. Using matching methods and a fixed effects panel regression approach, we find that when solar electricity generation increases by 1 kWh, solar homes increase their total electricity consumption by 0.18 kWh. This indicates that solar rebound effects are estimated at 18%. Building upon our theoretical framework, the increase in consumer surplus from solar panel adoption is estimated at $972/yr.     

城市室内环境多环芳烃污染与源的相关性

本实验选择了天津市４类典型室内环境和２处室外对照点，共１９个采样点。现场采样测定了１０种ＰＡＨｓ组成含量。结果显示，室内燃煤和室内吸烟是室内环境中多环芳烃排放的主要污染源。同作为对照的室外大气中多环芳烃组成和含量进行了对比，研究了室内环境不同污染源排放多环芳烃组成和含量的特征性。提出了室内燃煤污染同燃煤型室外大气源排放多环芳烃具有相似组成含量特征，而室内烟草烟雾污染源的多环芳烃组成含量特征则与室外     

Are policy incentives for solar power effective? Evidence from residential installations in the Northeast

State incentives for solar power have grown significantly in the past several years. This paper examines the effectiveness of policy incentives to increase residential solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. We use county-level panel data and control for demographic characteristics, solar resources, and pro-environmental preferences. Results show that among financial incentives, rebates have the most impact with an additional $1 per watt rebate increasing annual PV capacity additions by close to 50%. Factors that affect financial returns to solar PV such as electricity price and solar insolation are also found to be significant. Results also point to a significant positive relationship between hybrid vehicle sales and residential PV capacity growth, indicating the importance of pro-environmental preferences as a predictor of solar PV demand. Back of the envelope calculations suggest that the cost of carbon mitigation through rebates is around $184 per ton of CO₂.     

中国家庭消费的生态影响——以家庭生活用电为例

中国生活部门能源消费占能源消费总量的12％，以电能消费为例，用生命周期方法计算了中国家庭1985年和1998年因生活用电而间接产生的CO2、SOx和烟尘的排放。结果发现，与1985年相比，1998年3种污染物的排放量对全国的贡献率分别增加了5．06％，5．16％和3．57％。说明在中国开展家庭消费生态影响研究的重要意义。     

The role of materials selection in the urban heat island effect in dry mid-latitude climates

This work investigates the role of materials selected for different urban surfaces (e.g. on building walls, roofs and pavements) in the intensity of the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. Three archetypal street-canyon geometries are considered, reflecting two-dimensional canyon arrays with frontal packing densities (λ_f) of 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 under direct solar radiation and ground heating. The impact of radiative heat transfer in the urban environment is examined for each of the different built packing densities. A number of extreme heat scenarios were modelled in order to mimic conditions often found at low- to mid-latitudes dry climates. The investigation involved a suite of different computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations for mass and momentum coupled with the energy equation as well as using the standard k-ε turbulence model. Results indicate that a higher rate of ventilation within the street canyon is observed in areas with sparser built packing density. However, such higher ventilation rates were not necessarily found to be linked with lower temperatures within the canyon; this is because such sparser geometries are associated with higher heat transfer from the wider surfaces of road material under the condition of direct solar radiation and ground heating. Sparser canyon arrays corresponding to wider asphalt street roads in particular, have been found to yield substantially higher air temperatures. Additional simulations indicated that replacing asphalt road surfaces in streets with concrete roads (of different albedo or emissivity characteristics) can lead up to a ~5 °C reduction in the canyon air temperature in dry climates. It is finally concluded that an optimized selection of materials in the urban infrastructure design can lead to a more effective mitigation of the UHI phenomenon than the optimisation of the built packing density.     

Potential shift of bacterial community structure and corrosion-related bacteria in drinking water distribution pipeline driven by water source switching

• Bacterial release from aged pipe sections under extreme conditions was quantified. • Released bacterial community structure exhibited large variation after transition. • Risks from transition reduced significantly with cleaner source. As a result of pollution in the present water sources, cities have been forced to utilize cleaner water sources. There are few reports regarding the potential shift of bacterial community structure driven by water source switching, especially that of corrosion-related bacteria. Three types of finished water were used for simulation, the polluted source water from the Qiantang and Dongtiaoxi Rivers (China) was replaced by cleaner water from Qiandao Lake (China). Here, we discussed the transition effects through three simulated reactors. The bacterial characteristics were identified using the high-throughput sequencing and heterotrophic plate count method. It was observed that the level of culturable bacteria declined by 2–3 orders of magnitude after water source switching. The bacterial community released from the pipeline reactor was significantly different under different finished water, and it exhibited large variation at the genus level. Porphyrobacter (58.2%) and Phreatobacter (14.5%) clearly replaced Novosphingobium, Aquabacterium, and Cupriavidus as new dominant genera in system A, which could be attributed to the lower carbon and nitrogen content of the new water source. Although corrosion-inhibiting bacteria decreased after switching, they still maintained dominant in three reactors (6.6%, 15.9%, and 19.7%). Furthermore, potential opportunistic pathogens such as Sphingomonas were detected. Our study shows that after transition to a high quality water source, the total culturable bacteria released was in a downtrend, which leads to a great reduction in the risk of bacterial leakage in the produced drinking water.     

金华生态建筑的设计

金华生态建筑是自身良性循环的绿色建筑物,有3个特点,即屋顶覆土种植或养殖或设太阳能装置,地下设有以净化生活污水为主要目的沼气净化池,墙体垂直绿化,这三者缺不一可,但可单项利用,它有节土,节水,节能和经济,环境,社会产益协调统一这两大优点。     

室内空气中多环芳烃污染的测量和特征性研究

本文就室内空气中多环芳烃典型污染源－室内燃煤和室内吸烟排放的多环芳烃组成和含量进行了测定，并同室外大气（对照）中多环芳烃组成含量进行了对比，研究了室内环境不同污染源排放多环烃组成和含量的特征性，结果表明，室内燃煤污染同燃煤型室外大气源排放多环芳烃具有相似组成含量特征，而室朵烟草烟雾污染源的多环芳烃组成含量特征，则与室外煤型和交通型均有显著区别。     

汽车制造行业清洁生产分析方法及实例分析

以天津丰田汽车项目为例，从生产工艺先进性、能源与资源利用合理性、产品清洁性等方面对汽车制造行业清洁生产进行分析。根据有关资料，介绍国内及国际汽车工业涂装漆现状及发展趋势，进而说明汽车制造行业实行清洁生产的必要性。     

中国的太阳能资源及应用潜力

太阳能资源被认为是21世纪最引人注目的可再生能源和洁净能源，为了经济的可持续发展，应该把环境保护和长期利益作为研究目标，文章估算了中国14个城市的太阳能资源，分析了太阳能热水系统和PIVP系统的经济性，研究结果表明，中国的太阳能利用潜力很大，政府应该对其发展发挥重要作用。     

Efficient synthesis of pyrano[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives using microwave or solar energy

Pyranopyridine derivatives are an important class of heterocyclic compounds due to their biological activities such as antitumor and antibacterial. However, conventional procedures for their synthesis produce large amounts of toxic by-products. Therefore, there is a need to develop simple, efficient and environmentally benign procedures. Here, a one-pot multicomponent protocol is designed for the synthesis of pyrano[2,3-b]pyridone derivatives by reaction of equimolar amounts of 6-hydroxy-1,4-dimethyl-1,2-dihydropyridines, aryl aldehydes and malononitrile, using both microwave heating and solar thermal energy in aqueous EtOH (50%) in the presence of a catalytic amount of K₂CO₃. The products were obtained in 84–90% yields in 10–20 min by microwave heating, and in 90–96% yields in 2–3 h using solar energy.     

Technological influences and abatement strategies for industrial sulphur dioxide in China

Industrial SO₂ is the most important air pollutant in China. This paper outlines the technological impacts on industrial SO₂ emissions in China in terms of: amount, intensity, structure of energy consumption and structure of energy-intensive industries. It shows that industrial SO₂ emissions have linear growth alongside increases in energy consumption, particularly the rise in coal consumption. The contribution of technological factors to decreases in the intensity of energy consumption is 25%, while the structural factor is 75%. The power industry accounts for 52.6% of total industrial SO₂. Optimisation of the structure of energy consumption can reduce SO₂ emissions by 1.98 million tonnes per year. We propose the following technological strategies for industrial SO₂ abatement: adjustment of the system and structure of thermal power generating units, acceleration of flue gas desulphurisation projects, transformation of industrial structures, development of eco-industries and a reduction in energy consumption per unit product. In addition, an effective way to abate industrial SO₂ emissions is to promote governance strategies to stricly enforce SO₂ emission standards, conduct emission trading, and formulate incentives for encouraging cleaner production and clean energy development.     

城市节制用水的理论与方法

分析了我国的水污染状况，论述了节水的系统工程理论、水夹点技术、水平衡测试理论及水价格政策，总结了国内外节水实践经验，探讨了我国城市节制用水的措施与方法，指出污水深度处理与回用、清洁生产、利用雨水与海水、发展节水农业、提高建筑物节水效率是促进城市水环境恢复的有效途径，提出了城市节水的研究方向。     

Photocatalytic degradation of phenol in water using TiO2 and ZnO

Photocatalytic degradation of chemical pollutants in water was investigated using semiconductor oxide catalysts, zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) and phenol as the substrate. Influence of various parameters such as characteristics of the catalyst, irradiation time, substrate and catalyst concentrations, pH etc. has been studied and optimum conditions for the complete degradation of phenol in water have been identified. In terms of activity and durability TiO2 is far superior to ZnO. Mixing ZnO with TiO2 does not affect its activity significantly. The process is especially relevant in view of its potential for the treatment of wastewater containing pollutants, using solar radiation as the energy source.     

Local governance of energy transition: sustainability,transactions and social ties. A case study in Northeast France

This paper tackles the process of energy transition from a transactional perspective. It addresses the governance of energy transition by studying its local actualizations, moving beyond purely technical and normative readings. The paper shows that through the local socio-technological energy systems, sustainability governance filters down to the level of individual, everyday behavior, thus questioning the link between public and private spaces, especially regarding the issue of housing. Going beyond the results commonly yielded by transition studies, which favor large-scale analysis, it details how the discourse of citizen involvement, which often boils down to a mere call to control one’s individual energy consumption, conceals environmental inequalities, confirming the socioeconomic divide materialized in deprived areas such as public housing estates or remote rural areas. From a methodological standpoint, the analysis is based on four case studies in Northeast France, in more or less privileged areas, and in both urban and rural environments: the renovation of a heating network in the public housing estate of Cité de l’Ill, north of Strasbourg; the solar energy systems designed for property owners in Plobsheim, a residential suburb of Strasbourg; the energy-efficient equipment set up in a public housing estate in the city of Saint-Dié, in the Vosges; and citizen participation in a cooperative program to finance wind turbines in the small Alsacian city of Saâles, in a mountain rural area. The paper draws on the results of these sociological investigations, carried out using field observations, questionnaires and interviews.