Search

The adoption of residential photovoltaic (PV) systems to mitigate the effects of climate change has been incentivized in recent years by government policies. Due to the impacts of these systems on the energy mix and the electrical grid, it is essential to understand how these technologies will expand in urban areas. To fulfill that need, this article presents an innovative method for modeling the diffusion of residential PV systems in urban environments that employs spatial analysis and urban characteristics to identify residences at the subarea level with the potential for installing PV systems, along with temporal analysis to project the adoption growth of these systems over time. This approach integrates urban characteristics such as population density, socioeconomic data, public environmental awareness, rooftop space availability, and population interest in new technologies. Results for the diffusion of PV systems in a Brazilian city are compared with real adoption data. The results are presented in thematic maps showing the spatiotemporal distribution of potential adopters of PV systems. This information is essential for creating efficient decarbonization plans because, while many households can afford these systems, interest in new technologies and knowledge of the benefits of clean energy are also necessary for their adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with soybean or canola oil on milk production and the composition of long chain fatty acids as well as weight changes in the goats and their kids. Methods: Thirty nine mulitparous crossed Alpine×Nubian goats (initial body weight [BW] 43.5±1.7 kg) from the day of parturition were assigned to the treatments: grazing control (n = 15); grazing plus 20 mL/goat/d of supplemental soybean oil (n = 12); and grazing plus 20 mL/goat/d of supplemental canola oil (n = 12) from November 26, 2014 to March 7, 2015. The planned contrasts were: CI (control vs supplemented with oils); CII (soybean vs canola oil) to compare the treatment effects. Results: The vegetable oil supplementation reduced weight losses in lactating goats (CI: -0.060 vs 0.090 kg/d; p = 0.03) but did not improve milk production or affect kids' growth. The content of C4, C6, C8, C10, C11, C14, and C18:1n9t in the milk was increased (p<0.05) with respect to control. However, C12, C14, C16, C18, C18:1n9c, C18:2n6c, and C18:3n3 were reduced (p<0.05) in supplemented goats. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was increased (p<0.05) in goats supplemented with oils compared to the control group. Conclusion: Supplementation with 20 mL/d of soybean or canola oil did not affect milk production or kids' performance; however, it increased CLA concentration and reduced the reduced weight losses in lactating goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic energy policies destined to foster the use of end-use electric technologies could cause rapid penetration of new residential loads and, consequently, this could cause a significant increase in the demand for electricity in urban areas. This paper presents a spatial-temporal growth model for estimating the adoption of new end-use electric technologies encouraged by energy-efficiency policies. The proposed method consists of three modules: temporal, spatial and grouping. The temporal module calculates by districts or census tracts of a city, the percentage of homes in which residents are prospective buyers of a new end-use electric technology. Then, the spatial module adjusts the calculations made by the temporal module, considering the spatial interactions among the inhabitants of the districts. Finally, the grouping module discovers the low-voltage transformer where the prospective buyers are connected. The results of the proposed model are a spatial database with information related to the percentage of homes in which residents are prospective buyers of a new end-use electric technology, as well as the number of prospective buyers connected to each low-voltage transformer. The results can visualize through thematic maps to identify the districts where the new technology will have faster adoption. The proposed method was employed to estimate the adoption of induction heating cookers in a medium-sized Ecuadorian city. The Ecuadorian government has developed a program of economic subsidies to encourage its population to use this electrical appliance. The results from this application are an important tool to estimate the spatial increase in electricity demand, decide important issues related to the planning of distributed resources, and develop demand-side management programs. Furthermore, the results can be used to evaluate and manage energy policies formulated to achieve environmental and energy goals. • Spatial-temporal approach to estimate the adoption of new end-use technologies. • Procedure to generate new technologies adoption scenarios using different energy policies. • Method to discover the transformers that will supply electricity to adopters of new technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]