Economically Research Articles

Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar PV Electricity Generation at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in Ghana

The electricity indebtedness of Ghanaian schools is increasing due to the high cost of electricity in the country. As a result, the utility companies frequently disconnect the schools from the grid to force them to settle their debts. Meanwhile, the school can reduce its bills from rooftop solar PV systems, yet little attention is given. The study uses the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) as a case to assess the technical feasibility, economic viability, and potential benefits of implementing rooftop solar PV electricity in Ghanaian schools. Google Earth software was used to estimate the structure's rooftop surface areas to determine the potential energy harvest from a PV plant.In contrast, the economic analysis uses the net present value (NPV), internal rate of returns (IRR), discounted payback period (DPP) and profitability index (IP) to appraise the intended project. The results show that using rooftops of school structures can provide the needed electricity for local consumption and export excess to the grid for sales. The NPV, IRR, IP, and DPP recorded from the study are million GHS 15.15, 21%, 1.6 and 8 years, respectively. The findings highlight the potential of rooftop solar PV systems to meet educational institutions' electricity demand, exploring the possibility of exporting excess to the national grid for revenue (income generator), reducing operational costs, and contributing to a sustainable energy transition.

A thorough assessment of various forest management planning initiatives and development of improvement strategies towards an ecosystem-based planning

Management planning for forests in Turkey has undergone gradual evolution over the last century. Developing and implementing a comprehensive management planning framework present significant challenges. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of various forest management planning approaches implemented across the country over different time periods, with overarching planning principles. It formulates a robust planning framework and proposes improvements grounded in scientific advancements and international standards. The assessment indicated that the management plans were developed using reputable scientific methods and principles aimed at ensuring the sustainable management of forest resources with certain strengths and opportunities presented by SWOT analysis. All management plans shared a common planning concept primarily focused on maximizing wood production through the area-control harvest scheduling method (except for continuous cover forest, which employed the single tree selection method). Each management plan established its unique vision, targets, policies, objectives, and planning guidelines. Forest inventory data were gathered through a combination of ground surveys and remotely sensed data to characterize and stratify the landscape. A robust in-house management authority and governance system with appropriate technical capacity and guidelines were developed and implemented, fostering a sound common working culture and tools. However, some notable drawbacks were identified, including political pressure, biomass/carbon accounting, growth-yield modelling, economic analysis, limited characterization of the full range of ecosystem services, risk and uncertainty analysis, food security and, particularly, long-term sustainability and scenario analysis with the appropriate decision-making tools and methods. Despite a few strengths, these limitations may raise concerns about the far-sighted design and application, potentially jeopardizing the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Proposed improvement strategies for an efficient forest ecosystem management planning system include characterization of ecosystem services, modelling their productivity, scenario analysis with a decision support system, stakeholder involvement, balancing utilization and conservation targets, conducting risk and uncertainty analysis and economic analysis of management actions.

Synergizing shale enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration: A novel approach with dual lateral horizontal wells

The dual challenge of enhancing oil recovery while sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) in oil reservoirs is a pivotal concern in the energy sector. CO2 injection is recognized for its ability to decrease oil density and viscosity, thereby improving oil mobility and recovery rates. Traditionally, efforts have been concentrated either on enhancing oil recovery (EOR) or carbon storage, but not many efforts spent to couple EOR and CO2 sequestration. Hence, novel techniques to optimize engineering designs to synergize EOR with CO2 sequestration is the best approach to maximize the opportunities of storing emission gas and contribute to the global world decarbonization goals.This study introduces an innovative dual lateral horizontal well design, aimed at simultaneously boosting oil recovery from shale reservoirs and enhancing CO2 retention. By integrating a conceptual understanding of oil recovery mechanisms with empirical data from the field, this research contrasts the proposed dual lateral design with the conventional Huff-n-Puff gas injection technique, commonly employed in shale oil formations.Our findings demonstrate that the dual lateral horizontal wells significantly outperform other injection methods in both oil recovery and CO2 storage. Upon optimization, the dual lateral injection design continues to surpass the Huff-n-Puff method in terms of CO2 storage, oil recovery, and net present value (NPV). This investigation not only presents innovative gas injection strategies in shale reservoirs but also provides insights into optimizing gas injection methods to enhance production efficiency and contribute to climate change mitigation through improved carbon capture and storage capacities.Through comprehensive numerical simulations and empirical data analysis, the study explores the optimization of well spacing, revealing that a dual lateral well with optimized spacing between 20 and 30 feet achieves the best outcomes in terms of oil recovery, CO2 retention, and net present value (NPV). The research presents a unique coupling of economic and environmental benefits, supported by economic analysis that includes the potential impact of CO2 tax credits.The novelty of this research is underscored by its integrated approach to CO2-EOR, the development of a dual lateral well design, and the optimization of well spacings for maximized efficiency. By providing a scalable solution that is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable, this research contributes a significant paradigm shift in the field of EOR and CO2 sequestration, with implications for policy and investment strategies in the energy sector. The findings propose a new direction for shale reservoir exploitation, promising to enhance production efficiency while contributing to global efforts in greenhouse gas reduction.

Two's company, platforms make a crowd: Talent identification in tripartite work arrangements in the gig economy

The gig economy provides a novel setting that challenges many established ways of working. This paper unpacks the nature of talent identification in the gig economy through the role of three central actors; the online labor platform firm, the requester/customer and the gig worker. Talent identification in this context is especially novel as it emerges from tripartite relationships among independent economic actors, in contrast to traditional settings where talent identification is studied from a dyadic perspective (i.e., talented workers and the organization). We decipher the heterogeneity across online labor platforms and their gig workforces through the practice of talent identification. We provide an agenda to guide future research on the inclusive versus exclusive nature of talent identification in the gig economy as well as on online labor platforms as independent, yet powerful players who identify talents themselves alongside shaping talent identification processes between workers and hiring organizations. Accordingly, this paper extends the parameters of talent identification scholarship along with providing a different lens by which we examine work in the gig context.

Evaluating Pollination and Weed Control Strategies under Mesotunnel Systems for Organic Muskmelon Production in Iowa

Bacterial wilt of cucurbits, caused by Erwinia tracheiphila, is spread by spotted (Diabrotica undeimpunctata howardi) and striped (Acalymma vittatum) cucumber beetles and results in major losses for US cucurbit (Cucurbitaceae spp.) growers. Organic growers of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) lack reliable control measures against bacterial wilt. During previous field trials in Iowa, USA, a system called mesotunnels, which are 3.5-ft-tall barriers covered with a nylon mesh insect netting, resulted in a higher marketable yield of organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon than low tunnels or noncovered plots. However, satisfactory pollination and weed control are challenging in mesotunnels because the netting covers the crop for most or all of the growing season, and economic feasibility of these systems has not been determined. Consequently, two field trials conducted in Iowa from 2020 to 2022 evaluated strategies to ensure pollination under mesotunnels in commercial-scale plots, assess effectiveness of teff (Eragrostis tef) as a living mulch for weed control in mesotunnel systems, and compare the profitability of the treatment options for organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon. The treatments used during the pollination trial were as follows: full season, in which mesotunnels remained sealed all season and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) were added at the start of bloom for pollination; open ends, wherein both ends of the tunnels were opened at the start of bloom then reclosed 2 weeks later; and on-off-on, in which nets were removed at the start of bloom and then reinstalled 2 weeks later. The full-season treatment had significantly higher marketable yield than the other treatments in two of three trial years. Plants with the full season and open ends treatments had a bacterial wilt incidence <2.5% across all three years and similar numbers of cucumber beetles, whereas plants with the on-off-on treatment had an average bacterial wilt incidence of 11.0% and significantly more cucumber beetles. The open ends treatment had fewer bee visits to ‘Athena’ muskmelon flowers than the other treatments. In the 2-year (2021–22) weed management trial, treatments applied to the furrow between plastic-mulched rows were as follows: landscape fabric; teff seeded at 4 lb/acre and mowed 3 weeks after seeding; teff seeded at 4 lb/acre and not mowed; a control with bare ground where weeds were mowed 3 weeks after transplanting; and a bare ground control with no mowing. The landscape fabric and mowed teff treatments had statistically similar marketable yield, and mowing appeared to minimize yield losses compared with nonmowed treatments. The landscape fabric had no weeds, followed by mowed teff, mowed bare ground, and nonmowed teff. Nonmowed bare ground had the highest weed biomass. The partial budget and cost-efficiency ratio analysis indicated that the full-season treatment was the most cost-efficient pollination option for mesotunnel systems. An economic analysis of the weed management strategies showed that using teff as a living mulch in the furrows between organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon rows, coupled with timely mowing to suppress its growth, can generate revenue comparable to that of landscape fabric. Our findings suggest that organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon growers in Iowa may gain the greatest yield and soil quality benefits when mesotunnels are kept closed for the entire season, bumble bees are used for pollination, and teff (mowed 3 weeks after seeding) is used to control weeds in the furrows. Further trials integrating these pollination and weed management strategies would help validate a comprehensive approach to organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon production under mesotunnels.

Structural and Economical Analysis of Cable-Stayed Bridges

Abstract: Cable-stayed bridges have emerged as prominent structures in modern civil engineering, renowned for their aesthetic appeal, structural efficiency, and economic viability. This review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the structural and economic aspects of cable-stayed bridges. It encompasses a thorough examination of various design considerations, construction techniques, material selection, and economic factors influencing the feasibility and performance of cable-stayed bridges. Through the synthesis of existing literature and case studies, this paper aims to offer insights into the key factors driving the design, construction, and economic evaluation of cable-stayed bridges, thereby aiding engineers, planners, and decision-makers in making informed choices in bridge infrastructure development projects.

Use of an Absorption Heat Pump to Lift the District Cooling Waste Heat Temperature for the District Heating Supply in Tallinn: a Technical and Economic Analysis

Absorption heat pumps can lift a lower temperature waste heat source to a higher temperature useful output. In that process, it uses less electricity as an input compared to heat pumps with electrical compressors. Therefore, in some cases, it can be used to lift a lower temperature waste heat source to a higher temperature useful output with less electricity consumption. Absorption heat pumps are not very widely spread in district heating, mostly because there aren’t many suitable waste heat sources or conditions needed to run them. Tallinn has a district heating system with an annual generation of more than 2 TWh and a goal to make it an entirely carbon neutral district heating system by 2030. Tallinn has also started to develop a district cooling network, and by the end of 2023, the installed capacity was about 6 MW. District cooling capacity is estimated to grow to around 100 MW in 2030. This paper investigates different types of absorption heat pumps and the possibilities of integrating an absorption heat pump to a district cooling plant with the purpose of using waste heat from the cooling plant for renewable heat generation, that can be used in district heating. Different technical aspects are examined to find a suitable production solution, are presented as results. From an economical point of view, the cost of heat to cover peaks with an absorption heat pump is calculated. The effect of reducing fossil fuel use in the Tallinn district heating network with an absorption heat pump is estimated.

Reduced-dimensional prediction method for the axial aerodynamic forces in the off-design operation of near-critical CO2 centrifugal compressors

In the high-load centrifugal compressor of near-critical CO2 (NcCO2) power-generation cycle, the overload of axial aerodynamic force causes significant harms to the structural safety and operational stability of turbomachinery components. Based on a transcritical CO2 compressor of a MWt-class simple recuperated cycle, we numerically studied the aero-thermodynamic characteristics of back-cavity leakage, and discussed the physical model of the axial aerodynamic forces in off-design operation of NcCO2 compressors. Finally, reduced-dimensional prediction method for the axial aerodynamic forces in the near-critical CO2 compressor was developed. Wherein, the Japikse's method was used to estimate the primary aerodynamic loads of centrifugal impeller, and a 1-D radial equilibrium equation with angular velocity ratio was derived to predict the thrust force acting on the impeller back disk. Furtherly, based on the near-wall distribution pattern of angular velocities and physical property of Rankine vortex, a semi-empirical model of angular velocity ratio was introduced and completed the model of back-disk force. In validation, the reduced-dimensional prediction method exhibited satisfactory accuracy with perfectly acceptable errors compared to the refined CFD simulations. Thereby, a reduced-dimensional prediction method for the axial aerodynamic forces was developed for the economical and agile analysis of NcCO2 compressors in engineering practices.

A History of Ecological Economic Thought by Marco P. Vianna Franco and Antoine Missemer

<i>A History of Ecological Economic Thought</i> by Marco P. Vianna Franco and Antoine Missemer

The impact of Medicaid expansion on state expenditures through the COVID-19 era.

To investigate the impact of Medicaid expansion on state expenditures through the end of 2022. We used data from the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO)'s State Expenditure Report, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)'s Medicaid expansion tracker, US Bureau of Labor Statistics data (BLS), US Bureau of Economic Analysis data (BEA), and Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Oversight (PRAC). We investigated spending per capita (by state population) across seven budget categories, including Medicaid spending, and four spending sources. We performed a difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis that compared within-state changes in spending over time in expansion and nonexpansion states to estimate the effect of Medicaid expansion on state budgets. We adjusted for annual state unemployment rate, annual state per capita personal income, and state spending of Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) from 2020 to 2022 and included state and year fixed effects. We linked annual state-level data on state-reported fiscal year expenditures from NASBO with state-level characteristics from BLS and BEA data and with CRF state spending from PRAC. Medicaid expansion was associated with an average increase of 21% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16%-25%) in per capita Medicaid spending after Medicaid expansion among states that expanded prior to 2020. After inclusion of an interaction term to separate between the coronavirus disease (COVID) era (2020-2022) and the prior period following expansion (2015-2019), we found that although Medicaid expansion led to an average increase of 33% (95% CI: 21%-45%) in federal funding of state expenditures in the post-COVID years, it was not significantly associated with increased state spending. There was no evidence of crowding out of other state expenditure categories or a substantial impact on total state spending, even in the COVID-19 era. Increased federal expenditures may have shielded states from substantial budgetary impacts.

Public health impact of herpes zoster vaccination on older adults in Singapore: a modeling study

ABSTRACT In Singapore, population aging and rising life expectancy are increasing herpes zoster (HZ) burden, which may be reduced by vaccination. The present study modeled the public health impact of HZ vaccination in Singapore using ZOster ecoNomic Analysis (ZONA) model adapted with Singapore-specific key model inputs, where available. Base case analysis was conducted in adults ≥ 50 years of age (YOA), exploring three vaccination strategies (no vaccination, recombinant zoster vaccine [RZV], zoster vaccine live [ZVL]) under mass vaccination setting (30% coverage). Scenario and sensitivity analyses were performed. Out of 1.51 million adults in 2021 (base case population), 406,513 (27.0%) cases of HZ, 68,264 (4.5%) cases of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), and 54,949 (3.6%) cases of other complications were projected without vaccination. RZV was estimated to avoid 73,129 cases of HZ, 11,094 cases of PHN, and 9,205 cases of other complications over the subjects’ remaining lifetime; ZVL would avoid 17,565 cases of HZ, 2,781 cases of PHN, and 1,834 cases of other complications. The number needed to vaccinate to prevent one case of HZ/PHN was lower for RZV (7/41) than ZVL (26/163). Among all five age-stratified cohorts (50–59/60–64/65–69/70–79/≥80 YOA), RZV (versus no vaccination/ZVL) avoided the largest number of cases in the youngest cohort, 50–59 YOA. Results were robust under scenario and sensitivity analyses. Mass vaccination with RZV is expected to greatly reduce the public health burden of HZ among Singapore individuals ≥ 50 YOA. Findings support value assessment and decision-making regarding public health vaccination strategies for HZ prevention in Singapore.

3E analyses of different blend fuels in an internal combustion engine

AbstractIn response to the escalating emphasis on sustainability across diverse sectors, this study addresses the imperative to combat environmental degradation through conscientious development. The primary focus is on assessing the feasibility of replacing fossil fuels with renewable alternatives in internal combustion engines (ICEs) equipped with direct fuel injection. The research employs energy and exergy analyses, coupled with economic analysis, to comprehensively evaluate the performance of fuels and blends. Applying the Lotus Engine software, computational analyses are conducted, taking into account the specific geometry of the engine. Simulations explore different λ‐factors to identify optimal performance configurations for each fuel or blend. Noteworthy outcomes reveal that blends featuring green hydrogen yield remarkable improvements, showing high torque (max. +11.5%), power (max. +14.35%), thermal efficiency (max. +3%), and exergy efficiency (max. +21.56%). These blends also demonstrate reduced operating costs (max. −10%), although with higher exergy losses, indicating areas for potential enhancement. Conversely, fuels containing ethanol show intermediate values between the blends and pure fuels. Consequently, this study effectively establishes the significance of these fuels in ICEs, supported by comprehensive energy, exergy, and economic analyses. The findings underscore the promising potential of renewable fuels as viable alternatives to fossil fuels, marking a substantial stride towards sustainable energy solutions and environmental preservation.

A Comprehensive Review of Life Cycle Cost Assessment of Recycled Materials in Asphalt Pavements Rehabilitation

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the use of life cycle cost assessment (LCCA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) methods for evaluating the sustainability and costs of using recycled materials in asphalt pavement rehabilitation projects. The review begins with an introduction to pavement rehabilitation strategies and the importance of choosing techniques based on thorough engineering and economic analyses. It then explores the different types of recycled materials that can be utilized, including reclaimed asphalt pavement, recycled concrete aggregate, and recycled asphalt shingles, discussing the key characteristics and properties of these materials based on previous laboratory studies. The review also examines the various rehabilitation methods that employ recycled content, such as cold in-place recycling, hot in-place recycling, and full-depth reclamation, providing a detailed breakdown of the construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation costs considered in LCCA and analyzing the environmental benefits of recycled material usage through a review of LCA techniques and criteria like carbon footprint reduction, impacts on air and water quality, and considerations of technological factors. Software tools for conducting LCA are compared and challenges to advancing the adoption of recycled materials are reviewed along with directions for future research efforts. The unique contribution of this work is its holistic assessment of LCCA and LCA methodologies to inform the sustainable and cost-effective deployment of recycled materials in asphalt pavement rehabilitation, a topic of growing importance for transportation infrastructure management. In summary, this current work provides a valuable review of how LCCA and LCA methodologies can assess the sustainability and costs of employing recycled content in asphalt pavement rehabilitation projects.

Authoritarian populist turn and market capture in Turkey: The political economy of public procurement

The state’s economic role has become more visible, beyond regulatory features, since the 2008 global financial crisis. In several cases, the new interventionist turn goes parallel to the authoritarian populist turn in international politics. Although the two processes have their own dynamics, they are still interrelated. Rather than abolishing the façade of the market economy, right-wing authoritarian populist leaders are more likely to capture the market through politically loyal economic actors. To this end, public procurement is one of the fundamental mechanisms to allocate resources. In this paper, we tested this argument in the case of Turkey by examining all public procurement deals (867,260 in total) between 2010 and 2019. We found that over a relatively short period of 10 years, the level of competitiveness, measured by the effective number of companies that receive public procurement, has decreased substantively. We also showed that the decrease in competitiveness was not limited only to the highest level of procurement deals. Across all deciles of procurement deals, competition has decreased, especially after 2013 – and this trend has continued since then.

Environmental and economic analysis of the transformation of paper mill sludge treatment technologies in China.

Paper mill sludge (PMS) is featured with a high content of cellulose and hemicellulose, and using its characteristics to make paperboard can achieve a high-value utilization of PMS, which has attracted growing interest. In this study, currently prevalent landfill, incineration technologies (generating heat and electricity by incineration), and three paperboard technologies (medium density fiberboard, pulp board, and corrugated paper) were evaluated and compared via life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) methods. LCA results show that the PMS-to-pulp board outperforms others with an energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) value of - 2.86 × 10-8, while the landfill exhibits the highest overall environmental impact with an ECER value of 4.80 × 10-9. LCC results reveal that the PMS-to-pulp board delivers the highest economic profit with $257.357, while the landfill is the lowest with $ - 35.63. The PMS paperboard technologies are more economically friendly than the incineration technologies due to additional electricity/steam consumption during the PMS pre-drying process in incineration. In addition, different scenarios were set up to explore national GHG emission reduction potential by increasing paperboard technologies application rate and reducing the proportion of landfill and incineration. The scenario analysis suggests that replacing 90% of landfill and incineration ratio with PMS paperboard technologies could tremendously improve the overall emission reduction performance with - 9.08 × 1010 kg CO2 eq. This result indicates that the PMS treatment technology transformation has a significant favorable impact on the achievement of the "carbon neutrality" target.

Security Analysis of Reliance ltd

This paper is about the security analysis of Reliance with fundamental analysis, stock performance analysis, and technical analysis. In fundamental analysis, Economic Analysis, industry analysis, and company analysis are done. In stock performance analysis, returns, beta, covariance, correlation, H Model growth, and CAGR is calculated for 3 months. In technical analysis, SMA, ROC, and RSI are calculated for Reliance Ltd. stocks.

Impact and intervention of postoperative complications after gastric cancer surgery from a health economics perspective

Gastric cancer ranks as the third most prevalent malignant tumor in our nation, imposing a substantial health and economic burden. The occurrence of postoperative complications in gastric cancer not only hinders patient recovery but also significantly increases the medical expenditures of patients, contributing supplementary health economic challenges to both society and healthcare institutions. Conducting health economic analysis on postoperative complications in gastric cancer provides evidence for the formulation of health policies, offers guidance for hospital cost control, and furnishes economic insights for the development of new technologies in the prevention and treatment of complications. This paper, through a thorough review of domestic and international literature, comprehensively examines the impact of complication severity on healthcare expenses, delineates the principal contributors to healthcare costs in patients with postoperative complications, and proposes practical strategies to alleviate the health economic burden resulting from such complications. Furthermore, this study delves into and analyzes the health economic considerations associated with postoperative complications within the framework of the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) billing model.

Comprehensive thermodynamic and economic analysis of an LNG cold energy recovery system using organic Rankine cycle and freezing-centrifugal desalination for power and water cogeneration

In this study, the LNG cold energy recovery combined with a freezing-centrifugal desalination system is proposed. The thermodynamic and economic analysis is also carried out of the proposed system. To verify the results of sea ice centrifugation process, experimental analysis of sea ice centrifugal desalination is presented based on different types of sea ice: slurry and solid, which are prepared by the method of suspension crystallization method and progressive freezing method, respectively. The experimental outcomes demonstrated that higher rotation speeds and longer centrifugal times enhanced the desalination rate but resulted in decreased freshwater yield in both slurry and solid ice. For the slurry sea ice, achieving a rotation speed of 5000 rpm and a centrifugal time exceeding 3.0 min resulted in melted water with a salinity level below 0.05%, satisfying the standards of drinking water. Moreover, the unit product cost, payback period, and unit cost of CO2 emission reduction for the proposed system are 0.49 $/t, 3.25 years and 18.92 kg/$, respectively. While the unit product cost, payback period, and unit cost of CO2 emission reduction for the conventional system are about 0.84 $/t, 4.80 years, and 15.66 kg/$, respectively. Hence, the proposed system shows higher economic and environmental performance.

Optimal Positioning of Small Wind Turbines Into a Building Using On-Site Measurements and Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation

Abstract Renewable energy solutions are essential for addressing several pressing issues, including climate change, the fossil fuels supply chain fragility and fuel price fluctuations. One promising technological solution is rooftop-mounted turbines into buildings. This study presents an evaluation of the potential for wind energy utilization on the rooftop of a 29 m tall building. The primary objective of this research is to develop a methodology that can effectively investigate the integration of small wind turbines (SWTs) into urban buildings, intending to promote energy sufficiency in urban areas. A robust framework has been developed that consists of seven steps. These steps include site selection, evaluating urban wind energy with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation and on-site measurements, selecting an appropriate SWT, estimating the annual energy production (AEP), conducting an evaluation of the environmental impact, resilience, and economic analysis, and finally, installing the system. This straightforward yet reliable framework provides a comprehensive approach to assessing the viability of wind energy utilization in urban areas. The findings revealed that the most suitable location for installation had an estimated AEP of around 1030 kWh, leading to a reduction in emissions of 0.64 tCO2/y. Additionally, it was observed that the building's geometry and orientation significantly affected the wind flow, causing a substantial decrease in wind speed downstream. Selecting optimal sites and considering wind patterns are essential for maximizing energy generation in wind energy projects.

Social and economic impact analysis of solar mini-grids in rural Africa: a cohort study from Kenya and Nigeria

Abstract This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the social and economic effects of solar mini-grids in rural African settings, specifically in Kenya and Nigeria. A group of 2,658 household heads and business owners connected to mini-grids over the last five years were interviewed both before and one year after their connection. These interviews focused on changes in gender equality, productivity, health, safety, and economic activity. The results show notable improvements in all areas. Economic activities and productivity increased significantly among the connected households and businesses. The median income of rural Kenyan community members quadrupled. Gender equality also improved, with women gaining more opportunities in decision making and business. Health and safety enhancements were linked to reduced use of hazardous energy sources like kerosene lamps. The introduction of solar mini-grids not only transformed the energy landscape but also led to broad socioeconomic benefits in these rural areas. The research highlights the substantial impact of decentralized renewable energy on the social and economic development of rural African communities. Its findings are crucial for policymakers, development agencies, and stakeholders focused on promoting sustainable energy and development in Africa.