Abstract: Measuring the environmental efficiency of countries is important in the climate change process. The aim of this paper is to measure the energy efficiency of OECD countries with undesirable output. For this purpose, the Bad Output index (non-radial and non-oriented, CRS) developed by Tone (2001) is used in order to obtain the efficiency scores for the period 1995-2009. In this paper, I focus on the production process where labour, capital stock (mostly omitted in such papers), and energy consumption are inputs, GDP is a desirable output and CO₂ emission is an undesirable output. To see the energy inefficiencies separately, if there are any, energy input is considered as three separate variables in the model. For this purpose, oil and natural gas consumption are incorporated as one input. Hydropower and nuclear are incorporated as another input. Coal is the third input. An important contribution of this paper is to use various proxy variables for the capital stock. Determining the reasons of these inefficiencies is important for these countries. But modelling the factors behind these inefficiencies is the subject of another paper.

Abstract: Building material and components play a crucial role in solar buildings construction and planning. The literature review of the research emphasize that solar architecture and building integration is in need of some productive design strategies which focuses on reuse of recycled building materials. This paper aims at suggesting a mechanism for optimal use of recycled materials in construction industry which serve energy efficiency as one of the top priorities. The research questions are: 1- what are the priorities of using recycled material as related to energy efficiency issues? 2- Which recycled materials can be used in construction to meet energy efficiency in solar buildings? Recycled cellular glass is selected as research sample to develop inference mechanism. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods as well as problem solving approach are used in this study to answer the research questions related to construction industry particularly energy protection. The findings indicate increase in energy price and increase in the difference between cost of melting raw materials and melting recycled glass; and enactment of regulations for reducing extraction of raw materials and using recycled ones instead in construction projects can significantly affect the cost-effectiveness of using recycled materials in producing cellular glass; especially in contemporary architecture and future ZEB sustecture. In the other word recycled building materials can be adopted in solar architecture to energy efficiency.

Abstract: The present paper is dedicated to the numerical simulation of thermal convection in a two dimensional vertical conical cylinder partially annular space. The governing equations of mass, momentum and energy are solved using the CFD FLUENT code. The results of streamlines and the isotherms of the fluid are discussed for different annuli with various boundary conditions and Rayleigh numbers. Emphasis was put on the height of the inner vertical cylinder influence on the flow and the temperature distribution. More, the effects on the heat transfer are analyzed for different values of the fluid’s physical parameters in the annulus geometry. The heat transfer on the hot wall of the annulus is also computed in order to make comparisons the cylinder annulus for boundary conditions and several Rayleigh numbers. The obtained results in terms of Nusselt number has been found between the present previsions and available data from the published literature data.

Abstract: The Chinese College Entrance Examination (“Gao-Kao”) is the most high stakes assessment in China and parallels the most competitive examinations globally. Although it can provide Chinese educators and policy makers with an enormous pool of information about student achievement growth, school efficiency, etc., the current use of the test is mainly limited to ranking students by their raw scores. In this study, we tried two modifications to the traditional test to connect the assessment outcomes with school accountability. First, we linked the Gao-Kao English tests from 2010 and 2011 and aligned them on a Rasch scale. Secondly, we collected background information of the examinees via a background survey. The result showed that students from Hainan province improved a little in 2011 overall. In addition, school level reports were generated to show the school’s growth as well as the county and province averages. By implementing test equating and background survey measures, this study demonstrated that Gao-Kao data can be used to construct a longitudinal data sourceas an initial step to build a value-added school accountability system. The aforementioned findings and how they are communicated help to frame global use of such high stakes testing. The international context provides a backdrop within which the findings are nested. Contrast with testing in the U.S. serves to highlight unique features of the Gao-Kao examination approach.

Abstract: Thermodynamic optimization of four power plant installations with different technology is presented and discussed in this paper. Numerical optimization of the different cycles is performed in aim to obtain higher efficiency. Thermal analysis performance for the fourth cycles is performed for a define range of operating parameters using a calculation code established according to EES software. The first studied cycle is a simple combined cycle containing gas turbine cycle with a steam injection system, one pressure heat recovery steam generator HRSG and a steam turbine cycle. The overall efficiency of this cycle in inlet ambient conditions is about 46%. The second cycle is a combined one with steam injection system for which the steam injected is generated outside the HRSG using heat recovery system at the air compressor outlet. The performance of this cycle in the same initial conditions is higher of about 1%. The third plant is a combined cycle with steam injection and two steam extractions from steam turbine and two open feedwater heaters. The performance of this cycle is higher of about 1% compared to the first one. The last considered power plant technology is a combined cycle with heat recovery at air compressor outlet and steam extraction. Obtained results show that the optimum operating parameters leading to the best performances are not the same for different cycles.

Abstract: Green building is a concept in which development should be implemented with environmental principles, start from design, construction, operation, and management. There is a Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI) as a certification body for Green Building that established a Greenship New Building (NB) Version 1.2 as rating tools for green building assessment for new buildings in 2013. One of the categories that assessed is Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC). This study was conducted to determine how EEC criteria applied at Pascasarjana B Building Diponegoro University, by measuring the criteria based on Greenship NB Vers 1.2. The method of this study is comparing the existing condition of building with Greenship rating tools in order to know the points that would gained. The measurement of some criteria based on Indonesia National Standards and Ministry Regulation. From the results of the study, The Pascasarjana B Building Diponegoro University earns 10 points out of a total 26 points, or approximately 38.46% rating level for EEC. This baseline points obtained from some criteria such OTTV, Ventilation and Climate Change Impact. This study also gives recommendations output for compliance and building improvement to enhance the points based on Greenship rating tools.

Abstract: Heat transfer coefficient for cooling tower is determined experimentally and theoretically, the latent heat and air flow heat to are calculated. Thickness of heat layer is calculated and is then compared to theoretically calculated the displacement layer. The heat transfer coefficient is calculated based on the values of displacement layer and its deviation from theoretically calculated one is up to 3 times in the range of air velocity of 1.3-3.0 m/s. The difference in temperature of the air and water film is calculated.

Abstract: Textile industry is indeed one of the major energy consumers. Therefore, approaches introducing reduced energy processing of textiles in association with the standard energy management practices would be in obvious demand. Energy management standard is particularly desired for energy- intensive industrial sectors. Textile finishing organizations significantly depends upon the continual energy supply from fiber production to finished fabric. Textile processing areas that heavily consume water and electricity can be significantly improved in terms of reduced energy utilization and minimum energy loses through exercising improved housekeeping and standard management practices. It was perceived that ISO 50001 standard will provide management guideline and approaches to the textile sector organizations leading to an increased efficiency, reduced cost through less energy consumption, and improved energy performance. Any scientific information and data on hot air, heat, steam and processed water recycling available in literature would indeed be beneficial to enhance textile processing and finishing industry in the utilization of energy management policy, performance and efficiency measures, physical structure. The important factors that would be influenced by the energy management standard in textile finishing, ranging over fiber processing, pre- treatments, dyeing, printing, and special effects, are identified for improvement and discussed in this paper.

Abstract: Nigeria, like other oil exporting countries in the world has embarked on the policy of gradual removal of fuel subsidies since 1970s. However, this issue has become highly contentious in recent time due to the incessant nature and the effects on the economy.

Abstract: Turbulent flow inside a cylindrical baffled stirred vessel is studied experimentally for different Reynolds numbers. A set of speed was selected ranging from 100 rpm to 350 rpm. These speeds gave high turbulence but without significant surface vortex formation. Vector field’s maps and contours of time averaged velocities, for both radial and axial components in the impeller stream of a vessel stirred by a Rushton turbine, were determined by means of 2D PIV technique. This study reveals the importance of choosing the whole flow field of the entire vessel in order to provide comprehensive understanding of the flow pattern and mixing conditions which is essential for reliable design.