Economic Benefit Analysis Research Articles

EV grid-connected control and economic benefit analysis based on V2G technology

With the large-scale use of EV around the world, it has become a popular research direction to integrate EV into the power grid to achieve the purpose of peaking and valley filling for the power grid. With V2G technology as the core, this paper firstly analyzes the V2G grid-connected control technology, namely active power and reactive power control and clustering control at the theoretical level. From the perspective of cooperative game, it elaborates the commercial operation mode of V2G after grid-connected. Finally it puts forward relevant assumptions on the future development trend of V2G based on the current development status of V2G technology.

Optimal energy management, technical, economic, social, political and environmental benefit analysis of a grid-connected PV/WT/FC hybrid energy system

The global energy consumption is increasing every day owing to the economic growth, urbanization, population growth, high standard of living and high income level. The conventional power plants cannot satisfy the world energy needs without some noticeable challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain, health challenges, global warming, climate change and air pollution. The feasible alternative solution to meet ever increasing energy consumption in residential, commercial and industrial sectors of the economy is renewable energy sources (RESs) owing to the technical, political, societal, financial and environmental benefits. The hybrid energy system (HES) that is made up of wind turbine (WT), fuel cell (FC), photovoltaic (PV) and utility grid is proposed in the study to meet the energy needs of distinctive users in Cape Town, South Africa. The study's goal can be accomplished by making use of fmincon optimization technique to minimize the life cycle emission (LCE) of greenhouse gas (GHG), life cycle cost (LCC) and monetary value of energy purchased from the grid and maximize the job creation (JC), human development index (HDI), annual benefit (AB) and usage of PV, WT and FC. The effectiveness of the simulation technique applied in the paper can be assessed by comparing the HSE results with those from the base system. The outcomes of the HES offer a better performance with a payback period of 2.75 years, annual benefit of $329530, annual energy cost saving of $6899.3, annual electricity bill of $62747, potential energy saving of 52.37% and LCC of $419300. The annual energy purchased from the grid has reduced from 146,190 kWh to 59,593 kWh; this translates to 59.24% reduction when compared to the base system. The proposed HES with a non-renewable energy usage (NREU) of 40.78% and a renewable energy usage (REU) of 59.22% is financially feasible with a cost of energy (COE) of 0.0122 $/kWh and ecologically friendly with CO2, SO2 and NOx LCE reductions of 58.85%, 58.81% and 58.29% when compared with the base system. This indicates that PV, FC and WT can be used in the traditional power system to lower the annual electricity bill, energy purchased from the utility grid and GHG emissions. The results obtained from the assessment of the proposed HES serve as crucial decision-supporting tools that can be used by designers and operators in choosing the right parts for their power systems. The outcomes of the study can be utilized to enhance sustainability of electricity supply and minimize poverty in the developing countries.

Strain hardening geopolymer composites with hybrid POM and UHMWPE fibers: Analysis of static mechanical properties, economic benefits, and environmental impact

With unique ultra-high toughness, strain-hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) has attracted considerable attention. However, environmental and economic concerns have hindered its engineering application due to the high consumption of Portland cement and expensive high-performance fibers. To address this issue, geopolymer concrete and polyoxymethylene (POM) fibers are adopted to replace Portland cement and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, respectively, to prepare strain-hardening geopolymer composite with hybrid POM and UHMWPE fibers (POM/PE-SHGC). Static mechanical properties, economic benefits, and environmental impact of POM/PE-SHGC with different POM fiber replacement ratios are investigated. Axial compression and tensile tests on POM/PE-SHGC with different POM fiber replacement ratios (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) are conducted to investigate the effect of different POM fiber replacement ratios on the static failure mode, tensile crack development, compression behavior, and strain-hardening behavior of POM/PE-SHGC. In addition, Carbon emissions and energy consumption of POM/PE-SHGC were estimated and compared with SHCC. An evaluation method that comprehensively considers environmental and economic benefits and mechanical properties is proposed. The results indicated that under the condition of a total fiber volume fraction of 2%, POM/PE-SHGC with a POM fiber replacement ratios under 75% exhibited good strain-hardening behavior. The compressive strength, ultimate compressive strain, and ultimate tensile strain of POM/PE-SHGC reached a maximum at a POM replacement ratios of 50%, except for a decrease in its tensile strength. Furthermore, the cost, carbon emissions and energy consumption of POM/PE-SHGC was significantly lower than that of SHCC. This study verified the feasibility of producing green, high-performance SHGC and promoted the engineering application of this material.

Leaching and hydrating mechanisms, economic benefits of backfill materials by using coal fly ash–slag-based binder for environmentally sustainable production

Herein, the blast furnace slag (BFS), steel slag (SS), desulphurisation gypsum (DFG) and mechanically modified fly ash (MFA) were used as a coal fly ash–slag-based binder (FSD) for the solidification/stabilisation (S/S) of non-ferrous metal tailings and to prepare a coal fly ash–slag-based backfill materials (FST). The results revealed that the optimal ratio for FST was G9I-2, which consisted of 20% MFA, with an appropriate fluidity (240 mm) and setting time (13 h) that satisfied the backfill pipeline transportation requirements, and compressive strengths with 7 and 28 d curing of 2.43 and 8.47 MPa, respectively. The diffusion coefficient (Do) of FST ranged from 2.13 × 10−11 to 2.50 × 10−10 cm2/s, with a leachability index (LI) of 10.08–10.54. These values indicated that the FSD effectively encapsulated Pb and Zn by S/S, with G9I-2 exhibiting the lowest risk of leaching and the leaching mechanism of Pb and Zn was dissolution. The solidification of lead and zinc primarily occurred through the formation of hydration products such as C–(A)–S–H gel, possibly forming a complex salt phase. The addition of an appropriate amount of MFA (20 wt%) increased the content of functional hydration products (15%, ettringite; 14%, complex salt mineral phase) and the degree of polymerization. An increase in the Al/Si ratio (0.11087 ± 0.00948 ∼ 0.38838 ± 0.01935) in the gel region of G9I-2 indicated the continuous transformation from C–S–H to C–A–S–H phase. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic benefit analysis (EBA) demonstrated that FST materials significantly reduced CO2 emissions (0.45 kg/t) and generated significant economic benefits (2.76 USD/t) for mine backfill applications. These findings highlight the significance of MFA in achieving sustainable and high-performance construction materials, with potential applications in various construction projects.

Economic benefit analysis of the carbon potential of construction waste resource management based on a simulation of carbon trading policy.

The need for safer and cleaner environments for all humankind remains a topical issue that cannot be overemphasized. To provide an updated perspective, this study analyzes the carbon potential of construction waste resource management based on carbon trading policy. In this study, the system dynamics principle was used to establish a carbon potential model of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) resource treatment by taking the regeneration project of Xiancun Village as an example. The results showed that the use of construction waste for recycling and resource treatment can generate enormous opportunities to reduce carbon emission. The implementation of the carbon trading policy can create significant benefits in terms of reducing carbon emission, while the total reduction of carbon emission in the baseline scenario can reach 100.66% when compared to the scenario without a carbon trading policy. Moreover, the findings shows that the combination of the carbon trading policy of "carbon price + free allowance ratio" can improve the return on investment of resource utilization companies and the carbon reduction benefits of the combined policy are greater than those of the single policy, but only if the level of the carbon price or free allowance ratio in the combined policy is accepted by the carbon trading subjects. The results of this research contribute to the theory of construction waste resourceization management, provide the theoretical basis for government departments to introduce carbon reduction policies for construction waste resourceization, and provide guidance for the management of companies' carbon reduction.

Retracted: Application of Nanomaterials in the Field of New Energy Environment and Economic Benefit Analysis

Retracted: Application of Nanomaterials in the Field of New Energy Environment and Economic Benefit Analysis

The long view of vaccination to secure the future

The long view of vaccination to secure the future

An analysis of economic benefits from wildlife management areas in Oklahoma

An analysis of economic benefits from wildlife management areas in Oklahoma

Economic Analysis of Sustainable Transportation Transitions: Case Study of the University of Saskatchewan Ground Services Fleet

The global transport sector of the world economy contributes about 15% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the world today, and this must be drastically curbed. To reduce GHG emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, the University of Saskatchewan’s Office of Sustainability has directed a green energy transition for the institution in recent years, leading diverse sustainability projects and agendas due to the importance of curbing climate change and advancing sustainability. However, there is a strong need to pursue deep decarbonization within the campus, and the university transport system is a critical operational area that the Sustainability Office has considered for decarbonization to achieve the net-zero agenda of the university. The motivation for this work stems from the directive of the Sustainability Office to transform the campus vehicle fleet as an identified area for curbing GHG emissions and meet the University agenda. This study was organized in partnership with the Sustainability Office and involved an economic benefit analysis of the campus fleet (consisting of 91 ICE vehicles) to determine if it was economically or financially feasible to transition from Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) or PVs (Petrol Vehicles) to Electric Vehicles (EVs). The analysis used RETScreen Expert (a software for analyzing renewable energy technology projects) to model diverse transition scenarios. The variables of Payback Period (PBP), cash flow projections, savings made from transitioning (fuel cost savings and energy cost savings), benefit–cost ratio, and GHG emission reduction potential were analyzed. The findings revealed that the GHG emissions from the campus fleet could be reduced by 100%, resulting in the removal of 298.1 tCO₂ from the environment. The fleet manager could save $CAD 129,049 (88.9%) in fuel costs, and the return on investment could be achieved in year 5 but could be reduced to year 2 if the vehicles were put into constant and active use, eliminating idle times. Lastly, the Sustainability Office would achieve a GHG reduction revenue of CAD 14,906. These findings show that pursuing sustainable transport transitions in the transportation transition for a university campus is financially and economically viable and should be pursued vigorously. The contribution of this work provides examples and evidence to advance policy recommendations to aid the effective and efficient transitioning of the transportation sector, specifically for communities at the scale of university campuses.

Liquid-solid ratio during hydrothermal carbonization affects hydrochar application potential in soil: Based on characteristics comparison and economic benefit analysis

Returning straw-like agricultural waste to the field by converting it into hydrochar through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an important way to realize resource utilization of waste, soil improvement, and carbon sequestration. However, the large-scale HTC is highly limited by the large water consumption and waste liquid pollution. Here, we propose strategies to optimize the liquid-solid ratio (LSR) of HTC, and comprehensively evaluate the stability, soil application potential, and economic benefits of corn stover-based hydrochar under different LSRs. The results showed that the total amount of dissolved organic carbon of hydrochars increased by 55.0% as LSR reducing from 10:1 to 2:1, while the element content, thermal stability, carbon fixation potential, specific surface area, pore volume, and functional group type were not obviously affected. The specific surface area and pore volume of hydrochar decreased by 61.8% and 70.9% as LSR reduced to 1:1, due to incomplete carbonization. According to the gray relation, hydrochar derived at LSR of 10:1 and followed by 2:1 showed greatest relation degree of 0.80 and 0.70, respectively, indicating better soil application potential. However, reducing LSR from 10:1 to 2:1 made the income of single process production increased from −388 to 968 ¥, and the wastewater generation decreased by 80%. Considering the large-scale application of HTC in fields for farmland improvement and environmental remediation, the comprehensive advantages of optimized LSR will be further highlighted.

Impact evaluation and economic benefit analysis of a domestic violence and abuse UK police intervention.

This study evaluated the impact and economic benefit of Cautioning and Relationship Abuse (CARA), an intervention which aims to reduce re-offending of first-time low-level domestic violence and abuse perpetrators. The analysis was based on two samples drawn from separate UK police force areas. CARA's impact was assessed using a matched sample of similar offenders from a time when CARA was not available. The matching was based on a host of offender and victim characteristics and machine learning methods were employed. The results show that the CARA intervention has a significant impact on the amount of recidivism but no significant reduction in the severity of the crimes. The benefit-cost ratio in both police force areas is greater than one and estimated to be 2.75 and 11.1, respectively, across the two police force areas. Thus, for each pound (£) invested in CARA, there is an economic benefit of 2.75-11.1 pounds, annually.

Proposing Adjustments to the Dry Season Inter-Reservoir Operation Rules of the Red River System to Improve Water Use Efficiency of the Reservoirs

The Red-Thai Binh River system is an important water resource to the Northern Delta, serving the development of agriculture, people’s livelihood and other economic sectors through its upstream reservoirs and a system of water abstraction works along the rivers. However, due to the impact of climate change and pressure from socio-economic development, the operation of the reservoir system according to Decision No. 740/QD-TTg was issued on June 17, 2019 by the Prime Minister of Government promulgating the Red-Thai Binh River system inter-reservoir operation rules (Operation rules 740) has some shortcomings that need adjustments for higher water use efficiency, meeting downstream water demand and power generation benefits. Through the results of water balance calculation and analysis of economic benefits from water use scenarios, this research proposed adjustment to the inter-reservoir operation during dry season in the Red River system. The result showed that an average water level of 1.0 - 1.7 m should be maintained at Hanoi during the increased release period.

A green and economical weeds control agent suitable for drone

Weeds are one of the main factors affecting orchard yield, fruit quality and economic benefits. However, present methods have been lower effect and high labor intensity. To inhance the effect of weeds control on orchard, a new green and economic agent suitable for drone with choline chloride and eucalyptus oil as the main components was developed. Adopting optimized “3414” test design, the paper studied the prevention and control effect of this new weed control agent on 8 kinds of main weeds in the orchards of the Yellow-Huai Rivers. The results showed that T5 and T12 were significantly (P≤0.05) control the growth speed of 8 kinds of weeds, T4 was only inhibit the growth of Erigeron canadensis, Digitaria sanguinalis and Artemisia annua, T11 was only inhibit the growth of Tribulus terrestris, Humulus scandens and Cyperus rotundus, and T3 and T13 were promote the growth of weeds, which had the worst control effect among all treatments. Combined with the economic benefit analysis, the cost per 667m2 of weed control of T12 was 124 RMB, which was the most economical compared with manual weeding and mechanical weeding. Therefore, applying 30g choline chloride, 120 mL eucalyptus oil and 75g sucrose ester to each 667m2 is recommended to be popularized as a new green and economical weed control agent in the orchard production of the Yellow-Huai Rivers.

Effects of shape-stabilized phase change materials in cementitious composites on thermal-mechanical properties and economic benefits

• The effects of PCMs to save building energy consumption was investigated. • Physical-thermal-mechanical testing and cost analysis were conducted. • Energy saving efficiency was calculated via computational modeling. • Findings infer the potential application of coconut oil as an engineered PCM. Phase change materials (PCMs) have been utilized to improve the thermal properties of cementitious composites by using their latent heat capacity. Applying them to building components can reduce their heating and cooling loads through energy absorption during the phase change period. The shape-stabilized method using porous lightweight aggregates can prevent PCM leakage during the phase transition process. While many attempts have been made to develop and improve shape-stabilized PCM composites to achieve a high level of energy savings, their economic benefits have not been fully investigated, as most analyses are based on initial material costs with a limited linkage of their thermal-mechanical properties. This study used an integrated experimental-computational method to evaluate the effects of different PCMs in building components by considering the core thermal-mechanical properties with an economic benefit analysis. Toward that end, two different PCMs (PureTemp® and coconut oil) were selected to fabricate Thermal Energy Storage Aggregates (TESA) using the vacuum impregnated method: TESA-P (with PureTemp®) and TESA-C (with coconut oil). The thermal-mechanical properties were experimentally determined and used for building energy simulation for a typical small office in Houston, Texas. The cementitious composites incorporated with PCM showed lower thermal conductivity and heat transfer than the non-PCM specimens. The TESA-P specimens showed a more prolonged time lag and better energy-saving performance than the TESA-C specimens due to better thermal properties of PCM itself. In contrast, the costs of TESA-C applications could be less with a shorter pay-back time. The findings of this study infer the potential application of coconut oil as an engineered PCM in building construction.

Economic Benefit Analysis of Anaerobic Digestion System

This paper aims to clarify the conditions and specific details of data collection by establishing an economic benefit analysis model, and provide corresponding economic analysis and support for the construction of anaerobic digestion plants and PTG facilities.With the implementation of China’s dual carbon policy, energy recovery and reuse and the development and use of clean energy have become hot issues. Through the corresponding literature reading, it was found that there is a new way to generate clean energy biogas abroad, and the biogas produced is used for power generation, that is, PTG facilities. At present, PTG facilities have not been studied in the literature. In order to consider the feasibility of establishing facilities, it is necessary to analyze the economic benefits, and the profits generated by the facilities can form a virtuous circle, so as to continue to invest in the construction, maintenance and construction of other supporting facilities.Based on the collected data, the calculation is carried out, considering the cost of labor, raw materials, and maintenance, and the final calculated profit is CNY4.33 109. Although it is necessary to increase the cost of maintenance and replacement of equipment inside the facility, the costs covered in this article account for only a small part of the total revenue, and the proportion of government subsidies in the income is much smaller than the proportion of power generation revenue, so the facility has great development prospects.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Value Priorities between U.S. and Chinese Airbnb Guests: An Analysis of Social and Economic Benefits

Guest value priorities in relation to online peer-to-peer accommodation are an underexamined area. This study examined social and economic benefits among Airbnb guests. The relationships between guests’ benefit priorities were tested in relation to satisfaction and behavioral intention. A total of 693 Airbnb guests were recruited from the U.S. and China. A framework to examine how cross-cultural differences moderate the associations between constructs was employed to examine the influences of the two cultures, one characterized by collectivism (China) and the other by individualism (U.S.). Confirmatory factory analysis and partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were used to test variable relationships. PLS-SEM analysis indicated that social and economic benefits both significantly influenced satisfaction and behavioral intention (satisfaction also influenced behavioral intention). Multigroup analysis was employed to test a framework examining cultural differences. It was found that social and economic benefits influenced behavioral intention differently for Chinese and U.S. Airbnb guests. The results suggest the importance of social and economic benefits in a peer-to-peer accommodation setting, as well as the need to understand cultural differences in the sharing economy.

Analysis of Economic and Operational Benefits of Grid-Side Battery Energy Storage Power Station

Analysis of Economic and Operational Benefits of Grid-Side Battery Energy Storage Power Station

Organic waste valorization in remote islands: Analysis of economic and environmental benefits of onsite treatment options.

Solid waste management (SWM) represents an important issue for small islands. This research evaluates the municipal SWM system of the Pelagian archipelago, in Italy. The research aims to evaluate environmental and econoemic benefits of onsite treatment plants for the valorization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The sizing of the anaerobic digestion (AD) and composting plant was developed, and the characteristics of the plant were used to conduct a cost analysis and an environmental life cycle assessment. The current waste management system (S0) has been compared with the new strategy proposed (S1). Results showed that S1 leads to save more than 250,000 € y-1 due to the avoidance of organic waste final disposal and shipping, determining a payback time of about 7 years. Environmental benefits include a lowering of CO2-eq emission of more than 1100 tonnes per year and a reduction of all the six environmental impacts analysed. The outcomes represent a novel contribution to the scientific literature since the research provides the first comparison of quantitative data about environmental and cost benefits of onsite AD plants in small islands. The research underlines that onsite waste treatment systems are viable options to improve SWM systems in isolated regions.

Large-scale fabrication of expanded graphite aerogel-based phase change material composite for efficient solar harvesting

The low thermal conductivity, insufficient solar-to-thermal charging capacity, and poor shape stability of phase change materials (PCMs) restrict their functionality in solar harvesting. Herein, a novel large-scale expanded graphite-based aerogel (EGA) with high thermal conductivity and excellent solar harvesting capacity was fabricated by gel polymerization to load polyethylene glycol (PEG, a type of PCM). The developed EGA exhibited super hydrophilic and lipophilic properties, and its thermal conductivity reached 1.42 W/(m·K). The prepared EGA/PEG composite exhibited a PEG loading capacity of 80.1 %. The corresponding thermal conductivity increased to 3.74 W/(m·K), which was 1290 % higher than that of pure PEG. Simultaneously, the solar-to-thermal energy charging efficiency improved from 31.8 to 91.8 %. The economic and environmental benefit analysis results indicated that the static payback period of applying the EGA/PEG composite to solar harvesting for domestic hot water supply was 1.7 years, and it exhibits significant potential advantages in alleviating green gas emissions.

Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits Analysis of Remanufacturing Strategies for Used Products

The operating environment and using conditions of mechanical products are complex and diverse, which has caused a large number of mechanical products to be unable to be remanufactured or have low-remanufacturability. Such products are often ignored by remanufacturing companies and society, which aggravates environmental pollution and waste of resources. Therefore, this article provides a decision-making model for two strategies of complete machine remanufacturing (CMR) and part remanufacturing (PR) for used products with low-remanufacturability. Firstly, from the perspective of the remanufacturing process under the existing technical conditions, the economic, environmental, and social benefits of different remanufacturing solutions are analyzed. Secondly, the entropy method is used to weigh the economic, environmental, and social benefits to reduce the model error, and the linear regression method is used to find the comprehensive benefits of its different remanufacturing strategies. Finally, through the decision-making research on the remanufacturing strategies of the used machine tool CA6180, the results show that the tested machine tool should choose the remanufacturing strategy of PR and put it on the market. Moreover, the decision-making strategy proposed in this paper helps to realize a resource-saving and environment-friendly manufacturing ecology and provides a new perspective for remanufacturing research.