Making a stronger case for industrial energy efficiency by quantifying non-energy benefits

This paper describes a more compelling case for industry to promote the non-energy benefits of energy efficiency investments. We do this in two ways to actively appeal to chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs) primary responsibility: to enhance shareholder value. First, we describe the use of a project-by-project corporate financial analysis approach to quantify a broader range of productivity benefits that stem from investments in energy-efficient technologies, including waste reduction and pollution prevention. Second, and perhaps just as important, we present such information in corporate financial terms. These standard, widely-accepted analysis procedures are more credible to industry than the economic modeling done in the past because they are structured in the same way corporate financial analysts perform discounted cashflow investment analyses on individual projects. Case studies including such financial analyses, which quantify both energy and non-energy benefits from investments in energy-efficient technologies, are presented. Experience shows that energy efficiency projects’ non-energy benefits often exceed the value of energy savings, so energy savings should be viewed more correctly as part of the total benefits, rather than the focus of the results. Quantifying the total benefits of energy efficiency projects helps companies understand the financial opportunities of investments in energy-efficient technologies. Making a case for investing in energy-efficient technologies based on energy savings alone has not always proven successful. Evidence suggests, however, that industrial decision makers will understand energy efficiency investments as part of a broader set of parameters that affect company productivity and profitability.     

森林采伐更新效益综合评价的几个基本问题

本文主要探讨以用材林为主的森林采伐更新效益综合评价的几个基本问题。论述了采伐更新的特点,提出了综合评价的三个主要方面,四条基本原则以及基本方法与指标体系。最后对采伐更新的生产效益、生态与社会效益评价的具体方法进行了探讨。     

Indirect fitness benefits are not related to male dominance in a killifish

Recent theoretical and empirical studies have shown that male dominance is often at odds with female mate preference and that indirect (genetic) benefits of mate choice may not be related to male dominance. We tested whether female preference corresponded to male dominance and whether mating with dominant males conveyed benefits to offspring fitness in a small freshwater fish, the African annual killifish Nothobranchius korthausae (Cyprinodontiformes), a species without parental care. The experimental design used controlled for the effect of male age, possibility of sperm and egg depletion, and accounted for a potential that females express their preference through maternal effects by manipulation of egg mass during ovulation. By sequentially mating females with males of known dominance, we found that female N. korthausae showed no mate preference in terms of egg numbers deposited with respect to male dominance or body size and no congruent mate preference to specific males was detected. However, males sired offspring with consistently higher hatching success and the effect was repeatable across individual females. Thus, some males provided females with indirect benefits related to additive genetic quality (“good genes”) and expressed via increased hatching rate, but this benefit was not related to male dominance status or body size.     

Why is the coral-reef fish Valenciennea strigata (Gobiidae) monogamous?

Parental-investment theory predicts that monogamy should be rare, and empirical evidence supports this prediction. Monogamy has generally been explained by either (1) a need for biparental care, or (2) a uniform distribution of limiting resources. By contrast, monogamy has evolved in several coral-reef fishes without biparental care, and many coral-reef fishes may not be limited by resources. Monogamy in these fishes might be explained by either (3) a low population density that favors mate fidelity, or (4) an abundance of resources that allows all males to breed and thus lowers the cost-benefit ratio for females that mate guard. We tested predictions of these hypotheses in the coral-reef fish, Valenciennea strigata, except that (1) biparental care had previously been rejected. We found no evidence of resource limitation (2a): food densities within territories did not differ from the density of food in unused habitat adjacent to territories; potential nest sites also existed in this unused habitat. Similarly, (2b) if resources limit the population, territory defense might require the coordinated efforts of a pair; however, widowed fish maintained their territories and (3) remated rapidly. Finally, (4) all males maintained a nest, both sexes enforced monogamy by mate guarding, and females benefited from guarding a high-quality (large) mate. Females mated to large males fed more than when they paired with small males. The results support the hypothesis that abundant and uniformly distributed resources can lead to monogamy by lowering the cost of guarding a mate when mate guarding provides benefits. Received: 25 November 1997 / Accepted after revision: 29 December 1997     

Use of the Contingent Valuation Method in the assessment of a landfill mining project

A comprehensive approach for the evaluation of the economic feasibility of landfill mining (LFM) should take into account not only the direct costs and revenues for the private investor, but also the social benefits or costs (generally called externalities), in such a way that projects generating major social benefits (and no significant private revenues) are not overlooked.With a view to contributing to the development of a common framework for the evaluation of LFM projects, this paper presents the results of a case study where the issue of the assessment of social benefits from a LFM project is addressed. In particular, the Contingent Valuation Method is applied for the monetary assessment of the community-perceived benefits from the remediation of an old uncontrolled waste deposit by means of LFM and the conversion of the area into a park.Based on the results of a survey carried out on a random sample of people living near the old landfill, the economic values of the individual willingness to pay (WTP) for LFM and the subsequent creation of a public park were calculated and the correlations with the relevant variables (distance from the landfill site, age, income, sex, education level) assessed. The results were then suitably extended and the monetary value of the welfare increase of the whole population resident in the area and potentially affected both by LFM and the creation of the park was calculated.     

人工湿地的生态休闲利用与设计

人工湿地系统除了可以起到净化污水的作用,在经过精心设计后,还可发挥与自然湿地系统同样的生态保护功能,更可为人们提供一个休闲娱乐、旅游观光、科教科研的场所,越来越多的人工湿地系统开始重视并采用一系列的设计手段以充分发挥其自然价值和社会价值。本文详细地介绍了目前人工湿地综合利用研究进展,分析了综合利用时一些潜在的问题,及其设计时应当加以考虑的注意事项和建议。     

农村散煤替代对PM2.5污染影响及健康效益评估——以河南省为例

基于2016年河南省农村污染物排放清单,采用县级优化模型,设置了基准和散煤治理2种情景,评估了2025年1月份河南省农村散煤替代的减排潜力,利用空气质量模型（WRF-CMAQ）模拟其对PM_2.5污染改善的贡献,并采取泊松回归模型分析了相应的居民健康效益.结果表明,由于围护结构改造的成本较低及保温效果显著,其与采暖设备的组合技术在河南省农村家庭是最适合推广的采暖技术.在散煤治理情景下,2025年1月河南省农村居民燃烧源的SO₂,NO_x,CO,PM₁₀,PM_2.5,VOCs,NH₃排放量与基准情景相比分别下降了98.3%,82.6%,99.8%,99.2%,98.8%,98.2%和99.4%.散煤治理情景下河南省2025年1月PM_2.5浓度模拟结果与基准情景相比下降4.1μg/m³,可以避免2220人过早死亡,带来23.5亿元经济效益.     

关中地区清洁能源供暖综合效益评价——西安某商业建筑的案例实证

随着中国发展方式转变与能源结构转型的深入推进,能源消耗"双控"与燃煤替代供热清洁化、集中化成为必然趋势。清洁供暖效益评价研究是一个动态的系统性问题,涉及技术、财务、经济和社会评价等方面。目前,有关供热模式评价一般集中在经济和技术视角,难以系统反映经济社会、环境资源等深层次问题。以空气源热泵、燃气锅炉和浅层地热能为主多能互补的供暖方案为评价对象,采用系统评价的方法,基于DPSIR模型构建清洁能源供暖综合效益评价指标体系,利用AHP-POS灰色关联度模型定量评价西安市商业建筑清洁能源供暖方案综合效益和D-P-S-I-R子系统的影响作用。结果表明:在经济、技术和投资环境等条件允许情况下,应优先实施以浅层地热能为主的多能互补供暖方案,依次实施煤改电和煤改气方案。进而提出关中地区清洁能源供暖监管体系对策建议,以供决策者和投资者参考。     

淮南矿区高矿化度矿井水淡化工艺实例

为充分利用水资源,提高矿井水回用率,淮南矿区谢桥煤矿对高矿化度矿井水进行淡化处理。根据现场运行数据、现场试验,简述了高矿化度矿井水应用反渗透(RO)工艺过程和淡化技术要领。工程运行结果表明:反渗透工艺在煤矿高矿化度矿井水淡化处理中产生了良好的经济、社会和环境效益。     

低压旋转脉冲袋式除尘器的研究

中国的资源国情决定了中国能源结构以火电为主。随着烟尘排放标准的不断提高,袋式除尘器将在除尘领域发挥重大作用。综合比较三种类型的袋式除尘器,低压旋转脉冲袋式除尘器凭借其优点将在燃煤电厂的除尘领域中有十分广阔的应用前景。本文主要介绍了低压旋转脉冲袋式除尘器的滤料性能、本体结构特点和工艺系统等内容。