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Agroforestry production systems have shown growing adoption in Bangladesh, offering ecological and economic benefits in the face of climate change. This study investigates the scale of agroforestry adoption, investment returns, factors influencing uptake, and challenges faced by farmers. Using a multistage random sample of 340 respondents, we find that while 75% of farmers are aware of agroforestry, adoption remains limited. Our analysis focuses on specific tree–crop combinations favored by farmers as agroforestry practices. The results demonstrate that, in cropland agroforestry, Eucalyptus tree with rice (69.05% adoption rate) is predominant, while homestead/orchard system agroforestry favors mango tree intercropped with potato (73.33%). Financial and investment analyses using Benefit–Cost Ratio (BCR), Net Present Value (NPV), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) prove that agroforestry is a more favorable alternative for farmers considering adoption, as it provides superior BCR, NPV, and IRR. For example, litchi-based agroforestry systems with vegetables like brinjal (eggplant), potato, and chilies offer higher NPVs (19.00, 19.73, and 18.46, respectively) and IRRs (54.45, 68.00, and 47.19, respectively) compared to monocropping where NPV was 14.38. A binary logistic model reveals that larger farm sizes, younger respondents, higher education levels, training experiences, more frequent extension visits, and improved market access positively influence agroforestry adoption. The study also identifies key challenges for farmers using the Problem Facing Index (PFI). The most significant obstacles include lack of training facilities (PFI-894), shortage of skilled labor (PFI-687), and insufficient technical expertise (PFI-647). Therefore, to promote wider adoption, targeted training programs that address the identified challenges are crucial. It will empower farmers to reap the tangible benefits of agroforestry as a sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship recycling is one of the most promising industries for Bangladesh. A significant amount of local steel demand is fulfilled by scrap metals from ship recycling yards. Bangladesh has been maintaining a competitive position in the ship recycling sector along with China, India, and Pakistan. But, in the absence of substantial workplace safety and infrastructure development and for not following international regulations, Bangladesh may lose its market share to other countries in this sector. This paper presents a financial analysis to establish compliant ship recycling facilities that will fulfill the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) requirements. This analysis has considered all the facilities of a compliant shiprecycling yard, including impermeable floors, mechanized systems, oily water separators, firefighting systems, and other special features. The worthiness, scalability, and sustainability of investing in the development of compliant ship recycling facilities have been assessed from Bangladesh's perspective and the benefits over the conventional ones have been discussed. Also, the challenges for ship recyclers and their prevalent perspective toward establishing compliant ship recycling facilities have been depicted. Lastly, recommendations have been suggested to assist the ship recyclers in Bangladesh by encouraging them to invest and enable HKC-compliant ship recycling to harness long-term economic rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic feasibility for captive breeding of marine ornamental fish in small spaces is poorly known, especially when considering threatened species. The present study analyzed the economic feasibility for producing Yellow Neon Goby (Elacatinus figaro) (vulnerable) in urban aquaculture systems through different production scenarios: pessimistic, normal, and optimistic, at sales prices of US$ 5.71, US$ 7.62, and US$ 9.52/unit. The financial analysis pointed the total cost of production per animal available to marine ornamental fish trade was between US$ 3.99 and R$ 8.03, with labor and rent as the main expenses. Six of the nine observed schemes showed profitability, including under loss conditions of an entire cycle. The net present value (NPV 8%) reached US$ 83,256 (negative value, unfeasible) until US$ 230,122 (positive value, viable), with profitable conditions presenting an internal rate of return (IRR) ranging from 10.87 to 97.84% and return on capital observed from the first to the sixth year of activity. In addition to the sustainable potential for biodiversity conservation, these results expressed reinforce urban ornamental aquaculture as a profitable instrument for public policy in socioeconomic development at large urban centers and their peripheral regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress in developing electric vehicles (EVs) has resulted in substantial advancements in recent years. EVs can effectively reduce carbon emissions while allowing vehicle manufacturers to build a strong presence in emerging markets. Nevertheless, the rapid growth of EVs in Indonesia requires more significant expansion. The lack of sufficient facilities to cope with the demand for EVs has led to customer reluctance to adopt this mode of transportation. Also, there is a notable hesitancy among manufacturers and business professionals to engage in the production of EVs and the establishment of charging infrastructure. This hesitation arises primarily from the lack of apparent market demand, which may be attributed to the significant investment costs associated with these ventures. This study, therefore, aims to develop an Annual Cost of the System (ACS) cost model to assess and select potential economically feasible and operationally feasible investments for the provision of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (SPKLU) and Public Electric Vehicle Battery Exchange Stations (SPBKLU) services in Indonesia. When creating investment decisions, it is necessary to take into consideration a range of feasibility analysis variables, including but not limited to Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Payback Period (PBP). Moreover, this study additionally performed a sensitivity analysis to determine actionable recommendations for individuals within the business community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates different investment rules on loans in peer-to-peer lending, such as default probability (DP), credit grade from the platform, internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), and Sharpe ratio (SR). We use classical models and gradient boosting models (GBM) to evaluate loans in a practical setting by considering two timestamps associated with each observation in the data set collected from a P2P platform. The empirical study demonstrates the realistic performance of different investment rules. Furthermore, some investment decisions based on IRR, NPV, and SR can outperform those based on DP and credit grade from the platform, which may provide a P2P lending platform with an impetus for deploying decision support systems to help investors improve investment performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having effective and efficient financing is one of the most critical steps in accelerating public infrastructure development, including toll roads. This study aims to identify critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing toll infrastructure financing in Indonesia. Thirty-three CSFs have been identified from the literature review. A Delphi survey was conducted involving a panel of experts in the infrastructure industry. Based on the survey, it is known that the internal rate of return, affordability, investment decisions, commercial banks, financing costs, interest rate risk, control of cash flow, contract scope, and principles of risk transfer are important factors for implementing toll infrastructure financing in Indonesia. This study fills research gaps by developing a CSF model for successful toll road infrastructure financing in Indonesian PPPs, considering private perspectives and aiming to provide insights for investors and enhance understanding of country profiles in developing countries. The focus on toll road implementation in Indonesia contributes to a comprehensive understanding of CSFs for PPPs in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of solar energy, the impact of waste solar photovoltaic modules on the environment and resources has been increasingly realised. Bangladesh is projected to install as high as 30 GW solar photovoltaic modules by 2041 from the present state of approximately 1 GW. Large volumes of photovoltaic modules from the present and future solar PV installations will become a critical environmental and resource loss issue once they reach end-of-life after 20–30 years of installations. Recycling end-of-life modules reduces environmental and people health damage and would offer economic benefits from the recovered valuable materials. This study has estimated total 196,250 metric tonne end-of-life solar photovoltaic waste between 2025 and 2041 from the installed and projected capacity till 2025 in Bangladesh. Then, by conducting economic feasibility analysis, it has also revealed that recycling the waste modules through a dedicated recycling plant using full recovery of end-of-life photovoltaic method is feasible with a positive net present value, greater internal rate of return (13%) than discount rate (8%) and a profitability index more than 1. A long discounted payback time (18 years) can be reduced through tax and value added tax exemption, allocating free government land for the plant site and above all supplying the plant with required volume of waste modules by turning it as a regional hub for recycling. Anticipating future environmental challenges and considering national realities, this study has offered a prudent and sustainable end-of-life module recycling model which would open a new window for the national economy as well. Appropriate domestic policy guideline is required in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Commerce & Management Quarterly is the property of Chinese Association of Business & Management Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The development of disruptive business and technology has the potential to reduce the growth of electricity sales. The existence of "Indirect competitors" who also take advantage of the use of assets that do business in the electric vehicle ecosystem, companies providing solar PV rooftop services, and the emergence of new business areas will be a challenge for PLN. Companies must develop a business model strategy to ensure the company's financial sustainability, which ultimately ensures the sustainability of the electricity business in the future. Real improvements are expected to help companies increase revenue, efficiency, and cost effectiveness which can ultimately contribute to company revenue. Through the Extra Facilities business model, as a form of service to meet changing market tastes, sales strategies need to be implemented for customers who have special standards and needs. In this regard, the author carried out an analysis of the investment for connecting Extra Facility services to one of the prospective PLN customers of the Riau and Riau Islands Distribution Main Unit using a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme. The feasible indicator that was being used was financial profitability, resulting in IDR. 6,914,249,547 NPV higher than zero. Moreover, this project also gives certain commitment by generating 17.56% IRR > WACC with a payback period of 4 years 8 months less than 10 years (based on the term of the agreement). This indicator is financially feasible because the service fees charged by PLN to customers can cover/reimburse the costs incurred in providing these services, with an adequate rate of return/margin. Financially feasible to conduct with the escalation of +15% and -15%, respectively for sensitivity analysis, with several variables sensitive to changes in NPV values such as changes in investment costs, incremental cashflow/revenue, operating and maintenance costs, and changes in the loan portion. This variable is also used as a reference in conducting scenario analysis and Monte Carlo analysis with a mere 1.27% probability of a negative NPV. The project has an estimated COD at the end of 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles and photovoltaic power stations can play an important role in replacing fossil fuels. This article presents a case study on the placement of charging stations powered by photovoltaic energy along an important highway in Brazil. A demand model was adopted to elaborate three scenarios for 2030 with different participation levels of electric vehicles in the Brazilian market. An optimized allocation model was used to derive the location and number of charging stations required to meet the charging demand. The results provided a list of adequate locations for installing the charging stations and offered insights into the consumed electricity and greenhouse gas emissions that could be mitigated by these actions. A financial analysis was conducted, and it was determined that the charging costs, based on the Internal Rate of Return calculation, were 10%. These costs were compared to the fueling costs of other traditional vehicles. The results showed that the costs can be 72% lower than the cost of refueling current conventional automobiles. The results of this study can serve as a reference in the public policy debate, as well as for investors in fast charging stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community energy is a buzzword that has historically included various type of experiences. In 2018, the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) legally defined renewable energy communities (RECs). Based on the first pilot projects and on the Italian legal framework, a possible REC configuration of municipal initiative with a high replicability potential is one in which a photovoltaic system is installed in educational buildings and shares energy with neighbouring residential consumers. This analysis presents an economical evaluation of different possible scenarios depending on variables such as solar radiation, system capacity, fraction of self-consumption within the REC, installation costs and energy prices. All the scenarios identified and analysed show positive economic indexes, although the energy and economic results may significantly vary depending on the variables studied. In the analysed case studies, the Net Present Value (after 20 years) is between kEUR 51 and kEUR 478; the internal rate of return is between 9.5% and 88%; the payback time is between 13.6 years and 1.1 years. The results of this analysis are relevant as they allow us to better understand the critical factors that can enable REC in providing local economic and social benefits to have a real impact on energy poverty or on the provision of local social services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The development of solar desalination technology industry can play an important role in the economic development of the country. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, these technologies can create more jobs in rural and urban areas and strengthen traditional energy systems. To start a new business, the profitability of the business should be evaluated separately based on economic analysis. Banks provide loans according to the economic attributes of the project. Therefore, an economic evaluation of basin-type building material-based solar thermal desalination device was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of solar technology investment in order to guide new entrepreneurs. For determining the economic viability of constructing solar desalination unit, many economic criteria such as break-even point, net present value (NPV), payback period (PBP), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), annuity (A), internal rate of return were determined. The entire annual operating cost of the business was calculated by adding fixed and variable charges. The business of solar thermal desalination unit has a huge potential because of the high BCR (1.15), NPV (INR 4,916,083) (59,040.68 USD), A (INR 721,151) (8,660.81 USD), and short PBP (1 month) values when producing 365 units/y. In addition, according to the break-even analysis, the manufacturing and sale of only 52 units are sufficient to achieve a condition of no profit and no loss. This firm generates a net average yearly benefit (A) of INR 721,151 (8,660.81 USD). Furthermore, this firm has the potential to not only generate cash but also provide work for four people. It also has a great potential for lowering CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional waste management is a crucial aspect in ensuring environmental sustainability and public health in the Probolinggo Regency and City. One of the main challenges in the development of regional waste management is the financing of the necessary infrastructure to achieve these goals. This research aims to analyze the selection of infrastructure financing schemes in the development of regional waste management in the Probolinggo Regency and City. The research methodology involves field surveys, interviews with relevant stakeholders, and economic and financial data analysis. The investment analysis method used includes calculations of Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR), considering Availability Payment financing. Additionally, this study will also analyze Life Cycle Cost (LCC) while considering various financing schemes, including government financing schemes (APBN/APBD) and nongovernment financing schemes such as Public-Private Partnership (PPP) schemes like Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Regional Loans. The results of the analysis show that all financing schemes, both government and non-government, yield viable results. These three schemes are then validated through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) using financial and non-financial criteria. The selected financing scheme is the regional loan, with the second alternative being APBN & APBD. Meanwhile, the BOT Public-Private Partnership scheme is considered as the last alternative financing scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Journal of Agricultural Sciences (SJAS) is the property of Beni Suef University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents a comparison of the profitability of entering a photovoltaic investment from a private inverter and an entrepreneur point of view. The analysis was presented in the light of the amendment to the RES Act in 2021 and has been obligatory since April 1, 2022 in Poland. Factors that significantly affect the assessment of investment profitability are given. In the article, the authors presented the legitimacy of entering into such an investment depending on the level of self-consumption of electricity, support mechanisms guaranteed by the legislator and the level of energy demand in a household or in a company. The profitability comparison was carried out using the DCF (discounted cash flow) method, which allows for the market calculation of the investment value with the assumed boundary criteria. Also, using the IRR (internal rate of return) method, a comparison of the economic efficiency of the investment in relation to the alternative management of capital in treasury bonds was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the required return to fund a defined pension benefit of the Civil Service Pension Fund, managed by KWAP. Based on the four variables, contribution rate, retirement age, life expectancy, and length of service, this study simulates 648 scenarios of required return corresponding to the years of service and post-retirement benefits. Our findings show: First, the minimum years of service for the pension eligibility shall be increased to 20 years. Second, the Government shall increase the contribution rate to at least 13% per worker to KWAP. Third, there are no significant changes in the required rate of return even though the Government extended the retirement age from 55 to 60. Hence, extending the retirement age will not reduce the pension cost. Fourth, this study shows that the contribution period is more crucial than the post-retirement period for the Government to sustain the pension fund. Lastly, there is a need for the Government to set a minimum funding ratio for the KWAP pension fund to ensure its long-term sustainability. As a policy suggestion, the current pension fund needs refinement to ensure long-term sustainability.

CV. XYZ is a belt-producing MSME located in Surakarta. The problems faced by CV. XYZ is the unavailability of product variations, or it can be said that these MSMEs do not yet have various product differentiations. Coupled with productivity at CV. XYZ is still bad. The workers use manual tools and the belts are perforated using nails and hammers. Based on these problems, this study aims to help CV. XYZ determines the best investment alternatives in order to maximize profits. There are 2 investment alternatives offered to increase product differentiation CV. XYZ. The first alternative (A1) is to add a pattern-making machine and replace a belt-punching tool, while the second alternative (A2) is to invest in adding a motif-making machine only. In this study, several methods were used, namely Pay Back Period (PBP), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Profitability Index (PI). Recommendations are given to CV. XYZ is the second alternative (A2), which is investing in the addition of a pattern-making machine.

In this paper, a comprehensive technical and economic modeling of a trigeneraion system based on a gas engine named EF7 is presented. The innovation is presenting a differential model with high accuracy which considers the effects of spark timing in half-load and full-load modes on the system technical performance, including specific fuel consumption, and the economic performance of the system, including fuel cost savings, investment payback period, net present value and internal rate of return.From economic viewpoint, at half-load condition and optimal spark timing (18° CA BTDC), the system will reach profitability after 8 years. From technical viewpoint, at half-load condition, the spark timing should be more advanced (24° CA BTDC) and the overall specific fuel consumption is 103.24 gr/kWh.But, at full-load mode and optimum ignition timing (18° CA BTDC), the economic performance has improved and with 10% inflation rate, the system can reach profitability after 4 years. Also, after 7 and 10 years, the profit values are $42,300 and $80,500, respectively and internal rate of return values of 22 and 26%, respectively. Also, from technical viewpoint, at full-load condition and optimal spark timing (22° CA BTDC) the minimum amount of overall specific fuel consumption is 110.42 gr/kWh.

AbstractA survey was conducted in five different rural municipalities of Darchula district, namely Apihimal, Byas, Dunhu, Marma, and Naugadh, with the objectives of analyzing and documenting the economics of apple production and identifying the constraints associated with apple production and marketing. The survey was carried out among 80 different apple farmers selected through random sampling from the list of 94 farmers registered at Apple Zone, Darchula. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from respondents. Data analysis was done using MS Excel and SPSS. The average area under apple cultivation was found to be 7.52 ropani. Financial analysis for a productive period of 20 years identified apple as a profitable activity with an average benefit-cost ratio of 1.88 and a net present value of NRs. 119266.17 per ropani. Further, the IRR and payback period were found to be 22.03% and 8 years and 8 months, respectively. The total cost of production associated with apple farming was found to be NRs. 135542.41 per ropani. Fencing costs and labor wages were found to account for the majority of investment and operational costs, respectively. Sensitivity analysis for a 10% increase in cost, a 10% decrease in output, a 1% increase in output price, and a one-year delay in production revealed the project’s insensitivity to the changes mentioned. The study concluded that apple farming was financially feasible in Darchula district, with a further need for progressive mechanization of farming practices and the utmost need for improvement of irrigation and transportation facilities to enhance apple production as desired.

Intermodal terminals (IMTs) have significant importance in logistics networks whose development enables the implementation of intermodal transportation technologies and participation in international goods flows. Developing IMT contributes to the greater use of intermodal transportation thus contributing to sustainability. To stimulate stakeholders to participate in such projects, they need to be proven economically sustainable as well. This article analyzes the financial risks of investing into an IMT in Belgrade (Republic of Serbia). The scientific contribution of the article is in being the first to use a stochastic financial evaluation model for assessing the development of an IMT. The article analyzes the financial risk probability over real-world data, considering the stochastic nature of container flow volumes and the prices of logistics services. The risk probability, as an output result of the used simulation model, is derived from the probability distribution of three distinct financial parameters – net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and the benefit-cost ratio (B/C). The results of the analysis indicate that the development of the IMT is financially justified, with relatively low investment risk.

Background: There is a gender difference in the acceptance of osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment in patients after fragility fractures, but this difference is rarely assessed during hospitalization, and it is unclear whether these differences are age-dependent. This study aimed to evaluate the differences between male and female fragility fracture patients of different age groups who received the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis during hospitalization. Methods: 31,265 fragility fracture patients aged ≥ 50 years from the Fragility Fracture Management Database in a high-volume orthopedic hospital from December 2019 to February 2023 were included in this study. We compared the differences in the rates of men and women with fragility fracture who received the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism biochemical markers (BMBMs) and treatment with anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs), and follow-up to the internal medicine clinic within 3 months after discharge, across all age groups and across different age stages (50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and ≥ 80 years). Results: The detection rates of female patients receiving BMD and BMBMs during hospitalization were 31.88% and 5.30%, respectively, compared with 22.23% and 2.69% for men. The rate of receiving any AOMs treatment was 44.63% for women and 31.60% for men. The follow-up rate of returning to the internal medicine clinic within 3 months after discharge was 9.79% for women compared to 3.00% for men. There was a significant difference between males compared to females (P < 0.0001). Analysis of patients by different age group revealed that differences in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis were found only in patients under 80 years of age, while gender differences in the return to the internal medicine clinic for follow-up after discharge were present in all age groups. Conclusions: Gender differences present in osteoporosis management in patients with fragility fracture during hospitalization, especially for patients under 80 years of age. This finding suggests that orthopedic surgeons neglect to manage osteoporosis in male patients with fragility fracture during hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is significant because it can contribute to developing sustainable energy strategies and expanding knowledge about renewable energies in Ecuador, specifically by modeling two modules: the thermal module (parabolic solar collectors and energy storage tank) and the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) module. The objective was to determine a region in Ecuador where the thermal module exhibits the highest efficiency for solar collectors. Subsequently, a detailed analysis of the ORC module was conducted, considering the working fluid, boiling temperature, condensation temperature, pinch point temperature, solar collector area, and the collector area-to-energy storage volume ratio (Ac/V). Finally, an economic analysis was performed based on the Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and payback period of implementing this type of system. After conducting all the respective analyses in the thermal module, while considering the yearly average meteorological data of ten years (2012-2022), it was determined that due to its meteorological conditions, ambient temperature (14.7 ℃) and solar beam radiation (184.5 W/m²), the efficiency of the collectors in the Andean region of Ecuador is higher. This efficiency is further enhanced by using Therminol VP-1 as the thermal fluid, as it possesses better thermodynamic properties than the other fluids analyzed. Similarly, the ORC module analysis results determined that cyclohexane is the working fluid for the ORC, thereby leading to a higher ORC efficiency (25%) and overall system efficiency (20%). Finally, the system was optimized to maximize the IRR and minimize the Ac/V of the collector for a nominal power of 92 kW. As a result, the optimal operating conditions of the system include a solar collector area of 1600 m², an energy storage tank volume of 54 m2, an electricity production of 23757 MW/year, a total system efficiency of 22%, an IRR of 15.65% and a payback period of 9.81 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Installations of decentralised renewable energy systems (RES) are becoming increasing popular as governments introduce ambitious energy policies to curb emissions and slow surging energy costs. This work presents a novel model for optimal sizing for a decentralised renewable generation and hybrid storage system to create a renewable energy community (REC), developed in Python. The model implements photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind turbines combined with a hybrid battery and regenerative hydrogen fuel cell (RHFC). The electrical service demand was derived using real usage data from a rural island case study location. Cost remuneration was managed with an REC virtual trading layer, ensuring fair distribution among actors in accordance with the European RED(III) policy. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) stochastically determines the system capacities such that the inherent trade-off relationship between project cost and decarbonisation can be observed. The optimal design resulted in a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.15 EUR/kWh, reducing costs by over 50% compared with typical EU grid power, with a project internal rate of return (IRR) of 10.8%, simple return of 9.6%/year, and return on investment (ROI) of 9 years. The emissions output from grid-only use was reduced by 72% to 69 gCO2e/kWh. Further research of lifetime economics and additional revenue streams in combination with this work could provide a useful tool for users to quickly design and prototype future decentralised REC systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2) into valuable chemicals has emerged as a prominent research field. This study attempts to uncover the rigorous design and comprehensive analysis of an innovative process that produces Isopropyl N-phenylcarbamate (IPPhCM) through direct synthesis involving CO 2 , 2-Propanol (IPA), and phenylamine (PHAM). The reaction system utilizes CeO 2 as a catalyst and 2-Cyanopyridine (2-CP) as a chemical dehydrant. In general, this work presents alternative designs in a rigorous manner, with different combinations of conversion and yield. It also evaluates various strategies, such as heat integration, thermal coupling, and the addition of a co-reactant, to enhance the efficiency of the system. Based on the results, the configuration designed with a 92% yield of IPPhCM and incorporating both dividing-wall columns and direct heat integration was determined to be the best scenario. The corresponding minimum required selling price (MRSP) for IPPhCM is 1.996 USD/kg (at a 15% internal rate of return, measured without considering the cost of 2-CP), and the amount of CO 2 emission per unit amount of product formed is + 0.075 kg/kg. However, the overall exergy efficiency of this process is only 42.7%. The main reason is the formation of mixtures that are difficult to separate, involving side products such as isopropyl picolinate (IPP), diisopropyl carbonate (DIPC), and others. To enhance the scheme, retrofitting it by adding ammonia to the reaction section enables the conversion of IPP and DIPC into valuable and separable by-products, namely 2-picolinamide (2-PA) and isopropyl carbamate (IPCM). This arrangement significantly enhances the exergy efficiency to 71.8% and reduces the MRSP to 1.759 USD/kg, at the cost of a slight increase in CO 2 -e to 0.118 kg/kg. With these results, the regeneration of byproducts can make the entire process more appealing and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security pressure, especially in urban areas, continues to rise due to surging demand for food resulting from a growing population and declining resources. It has been critical to improve crop production and make food readily available to consumers without traveling long distances in an economically sustainable manner. The novel GREENBOX technology uses Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) principles for leafy green crop production in urban structures. A GREENBOX is an individual thermally insulated chamber with an artificial lighting source and a soilless cultivation system (hydroponics) in an environment that is controlled at the grower's discretion. This study performed a financial feasibility study of GREENBOX technology for urban crop production in various scenarios to evaluate the system's profitability from an individual business's perspective and used market prices of the goods and services paid for or received by a project. The representative GREENBOX unit in the base case scenario had dimensions of a standard shipping pallet (1.0 x 1.2 x 0.9 m, or 40 x 48 x 36 in) and included thermally insulated walls, an LED artificial lighting source, a camera for monitoring growth, a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic growth platform, and an environmental monitoring and control system. A warehouse can host numerous GREENBOX units for mass production. We carried out a benefit-cost analysis by assessing the Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Payback Period (PP). These parameters were evaluated for a base case scenario from data collected or estimated for a representative GREENBOX unit. We also applied the base case scenario to investigate the financial performance of the GREENBOX setup in selected urban areas in the United States; New York City (New York), Miami (Florida), Los Angeles (California), Dallas (Texas), Atlanta (Georgia), Chicago (Illinois), Boston (Massachusetts), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). We then carried out a sensitivity analysis on NPV, IRR, and PP by keeping all the parameters in the base case scenario invariant except for one at a time. We obtained a summary equation to understand the variation of the financial parameters with changing lettuce sale price, electricity cost, rental cost, labor cost, and the number of GREENBOX units. A GREENBOX unit would require an initial investment of $398 to assemble and an annual outflow of $157 to cover operating expenses. GREENBOX cultivation was financially viable in the base case scenario and in all the cities studied, with varying degrees of financial performance. The sensitivity analysis revealed that GREENBOX cultivation was financially viable in all scenarios except when skilled labor costs were beyond $19/hr, and there were fewer than 300 GREENBOX units. A statistically significant regression equation was derived in which rising rental costs, labor costs, and electricity prices negatively impacted the NPV, while the rising lettuce sales price and the number of GREENBOX units positively impacted the NPV. GREENBOX farming may serve as a local source of fresh crops for urban customers, with various benefits including improved food security, greater freshness and nutrition of food, the potential to contribute to the local economy by the creation of jobs and revenues from sales, and educational opportunities through extension programs on food nutrition and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research generally aims to conduct an economic analysis and evaluation of agricultural nursery projects for the most important vegetable seedlings in greenhouses. Therefore the returns and costs structure items, the inflow and outflow have been studied. Also the investment efficiency measures for the studied project have been estimated. The research problem is that the recent period in Egypt has witnessed clear fluctuations in the prices of important agricultural commodities such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower, and others, Which requires studying one of the inputs of these commodities to determine whether or not nurseries have a role in these fluctuations through an economic evaluation of the outputs and inputs, To achieve its objectives, the research relied on primary field data collected from one of the agricultural nurseries specialized in growing vegetable seedlings inside greenhouses from the Abu Hammad Center in Sharqia Governorate, which consists of 20 greenhouses. through the results of the research it was revealed (1) The average area vegetables subject to the study during the period (2015-2021), which are tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, cabbage, and cauliflower, amounted to about 48.8, 23.9, 28.9, 2.8, 9.9., 3.5, 0.3 thousand Feddan, respectively. (2) The average production of the vegetables subject of the study during the period (2015-2021), which are tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, and cauliflower, amounted to about 926.2, 208.9, 438.8, 24.9, 91.2, 60.0, 2.6 thousand ton, respectively. (3) Investment, fixed and variable costs amounted to about 2.3 million LE, 330 thousand LE, and 13.37 million LE. (4) The current values during the life of the project for total inflows, investment costs, fixed costs, variable costs, total outflows, and net cash flows amounted to about 315.1, 6.1, 6.6, 267.5, 280.2, 34.9 million LE, respectively, while they amounted to The present value at an 8% discount rate is about 154.6, 3.8, 3.2, 121.6, 128.6, 26.0 million LE, respectively. (5) By studying the efficiency of investment in vegetable seedling nurseries, it was found that the Internal rate of return, the Benefit/Cost ratio, Net present wealth, Capital turnover to about 84%, 1.2 LE, 14.8 million LE, 1.2 year, respectively. (6) The sensitivity analysis explained the most important elements affecting investment efficiency, which is the decrease in the selling price of a tray of imported tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings by about 10% on the values of investment efficiency indicators, shows a decrease in the values of the internal rate of return (IRR), net present wealth (NPW), benefit/cost ratio (B/CR) by about 80.7%, 90.9%. 9.4%, respectively, with a deterioration in the capital turnover (CTO) by about 417.1%. The study recommends the necessity of providing highly efficient local seeds like imported ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Lindeman), is a major pest of dry bulb onion throughout the US and across the world. Yield and quality damage from thrips feeding and the expense of insecticides used for thrips management have jeopardized profitable and sustainable onion production. To improve approaches to thrips management, researchers in multiple US onion-producing regions developed novel, integrated pest management (IPM)-based strategies employing threshold-based insecticide treatments and reduced fertilization practices. The purpose of this study was to estimate the benefits from public investment in research to develop IPM-based onion thrips management techniques using a cost–benefit analysis. Benefits were extended over a 20-year timespan and were measured by reduced insecticide and fertilizer costs. The estimated net present value of benefits from improved pest management tactics will depend on the adoption and use of novel approaches to management. Using a scenario that assumes a maximum adoption rate of 58%, the estimated net present value of the research is $15.91 million, the benefit–cost ratio is 4.00, and the internal rate of return is 32%. Assuming a scenario with a maximum adoption rate of 29%, the estimated net present value of the research is $8.3 million, the benefit–cost ratio is 3.34, and the internal rate of return is 24%. Even when estimated assuming conservative adoption scenarios, results indicate a healthy return on investment in research to develop and refine new approaches to manage onion thrips and optimize dry bulb onion production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sequestration has become an important source of supplementary revenue from forest plantations. Although there are many financial comparisons of species based on timber revenue, there have been few regional comparisons that integrate revenue from carbon. Within New Zealand, radiata pine is the most widely planted species, but there has been a recent upsurge in planting rates for coast redwood. Under New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme, areas that are newly afforested under clear-fell rotational forestry receive carbon payments up to a set age, intended to represent the long-term average under successive rotations. Using growth models for both species, the objectives of this research were to regionally quantify (i) how the rotation length and the carbon averaging age influenced the profitability of growing redwood and (ii) compare carbon, timber yields, and profitability between radiata pine and redwood. The results showed the legislated carbon averaging age of 22 years for redwood underestimated the actual mid-points of carbon accumulation, which averaged 26, 28, and 31 years across rotation lengths of 40, 45, and 50 years, respectively. The optimal rotation length for redwood varied markedly by region and carbon price but was most often 40 years, increasing to 50 years at higher carbon prices, particularly for southern regions. Under regimes where revenue was only derived from timber, the redwood internal rate of return (IRR) exceeded that of radiata pine for eight of the nine New Zealand regions. When revenue was received from carbon and timber, redwood had a higher IRR than radiata pine up to carbon prices ranging from 29 to 50 NZD/tonne CO2 for the North Island and 23 to 34 NZD/tonne CO2 in all South Island regions apart from Otago. The IRR of radiata pine exceeded that of redwood at carbon prices above these values for the eight regions and at all carbon prices within the cold, dry Otago region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems, an effective way of meeting high energy demand with high efficiency, were adapted to existing large service buildings in most studies. Because of the large daily and seasonal fluctuations in energy and electricity demands of the buildings, optimization problems have come into view and have been studied. This study propounds a holistic design solution for the CHP systems' inadequacy to meet varying consumer energy demands in residential and the excessive electricity demand created by cryptocurrency mining. In addition, the study defines the possible high efficiency and sustainability for residentials producing and consuming heat and electricity by themselves. An energy‐conservative three‐block residential and a CHP system were projected together by a holistic view balancing the residencies' peak thermal demand to the thermal output capacity of the CHP system. The investment return rate of the CHP system was maximized by optimizing the thermodynamic efficiencies and maximizing the electric generation for cryptocurrency mining. The energetic efficiency increased from 40% to an energy utilization factor of 83%, and exergetic efficiency increased from 39% to 42%. The waste‐exergy ratio decreased from 61% to 58%. The engine's environmental effect factor was 1.56 and reduced to 1.38 with the CHP system. The exergetic sustainability index was improved from 0.64 to 0.72. The benefit–cost ratio was estimated as 1.6, with an internal return rate of 79%. Holistic designs considering common values should be considered to improve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Waste-to-energy is one of the most effective methods to save energy and reduce carbon emissions in the cement industry. In this study, a novel process of CO 2 reduction coupled with municipal solid waste gasification by recycling flue gas during co-disposal in cement kiln is proposed. The model of MSW gasification by recycling flue gas is developed in Aspen Plus based on Gibbs free energy minimization. Meanwhile, the techno-economic-environmental analysis of the proposed process is also evaluated via taking clinker production capacity of 5000 tones/day as the objective. Results indicate that the low heating value of syngas, the cold gasification efficiency, and total exergy efficiency are respectively 4.42 MJ/m3, 91.96%, and 82.33%, indicating a high energy conversion efficiency is obtained during MSW gasification by recycling flue gas from cement kiln. Moreover, the net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period of the proposed process are in sequence as 86.73 M$, 82.21%, and 2.67 years, assuming the coal price is 150 $/ton. The proposed process can reduce about 172.11 kg eq.CO 2 /ton clinker compared to the traditional cement clinker generation. • MSW gasification by recycling flue gas during co-disposal of cement kiln is proposed. • 82.33% of energy efficiency for MSW gasification is obtained during co-disposal in cement kiln. • The NPV, IRR and PBR of the proposed process are in sequence as 86.73 M$, 82.21% and 2.67 years. • The proposed process can reduce about 172.11 kg eq.CO 2 /ton clinker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of the environment and the use of clean energy is one of the main concerns of international governments. In this sense, encouraging the use of clean energy, both locally, nationally, and internationally, contributes to the development of countries. In this order of ideas, this work was motivated with the purpose of contributing to the scope of the SDGs at the national level, specifically, in the city of Barranquilla (Colombia). The thermal sensation inside the public transport in Barranquilla limits the quality of the service and, consequently, the satisfaction of the users due to the high temperatures (T > 30 °C). To address this problem, it is necessary to implement air conditioning systems that improve comfort conditions and are friendly to the environment. In this study, the feasibility of implementing photovoltaic panels as an alternative energy source for air conditioning units in public transport was examined. The study began with the dimensioning of the photovoltaic system and the accumulation of energy. A stress analysis was then performed on the chassis and bodywork of a selected bus. Finally, the work was evaluated based on the results obtained from the dimensioning of the mentioned systems. The results confirmed that a photovoltaic generator with a power of 35.88 kW and an energy storage capacity of 481,204 Ah is required. Additionally, the results also confirmed that the chassis and bodywork are structurally sound. The economic analysis carried out confirmed a Net Present Value and an Internal Rate of Return of 22,936 USD and 11.05%, respectively. The energy alternative proposed for the transport sector, based on the application of photovoltaic energy, constitutes an advance to meet international objectives in relation to the use of clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a financial feasibility analysis of the Cenderawasih University Teaching Hospital building project in Papua. The study examines the project's viability using various methods and includes a literature review of similar studies. The analysis shows that the project is financially feasible and profitable, with positive values for NPV, BCR, and IRR. The project also offers social benefits such as improved healthcare access, research opportunities, and job creation. [Extracted from the article]