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These papers presented to educators within the state of Tennessee represent the latest thinking regarding techniques for long-range energy conservation when planning and constructing school facilities. The current and future availability of energy sources is summarized. Some of the wasteful practices consumers and manufacturers have practiced are cited and suggestions made for improvement. Codes and standards related to energy use in buildings are followed by some findings of energy usage studies including illumination levels, solar energy, and ventilation. Three completed solar heating projects are described. The final paper gives some advice for the operation and maintenance of heating and air-conditioning equipment and a systematic lighting maintenance program. (MLF)

Reported is a study that was partly developmental and partly experimental. A series of worksheets were developed based on the Elementary School Science (ESS) unit, Batteries and Bulbs, and were used to teach three classes of sixth grade students. Two other classes covered the same material using a lecture-discussion technique. Student gains were evaluated through a pretest and posttest and attitudes were evaluated using a sematic differential scale. The net results of the study seemed to show that the students reacted more strongly to the subject matter than to the style in which it was presented. No significant differences were found in either achievement or attitude. Most students indicated a preference for the discussion over the worksheet. The authors believe there is no reason that one method or the other should be chosen for exclusive use and, because sixth grade students can become bored with almost anything if they are forced to keep doing it for too long, it is useful to have two methods available which seem to work about equally well. (Author/EB)

In 2009 United Arab Emirates (UAE) has engaged in an ambitious nuclear power program with the construction of four 1400 MWe pressurized water reactor units at the Barakah site. Fourteen years later, three units are in commercial operation, and the fourth one is in the final steps of commissioning. The four units will produce up to 5600 megawatts of electricity, supplying approximately 25% of the UAE's electricity requirements. To ensure in such a short period of time the building of the nuclear capabilities and support to the program, Khalifa University has been, since 2010, a key contributor to education and training activities as well as the development of R&D capabilities in the field of nuclear technology. This paper provides an overview of Khalifa University's activities implemented within the Nuclear Engineering Department, the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute and the Emirates Nuclear Technology Center (ENTC). This joint Center, which embarks the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, is a hub that addresses the research requirements of the nuclear stakeholders for the delivery of safe and efficient nuclear energy as well as the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies in the UAE. The paper briefly describes the current research projects implemented at the ENTC and gives reference related recent publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ways in which colleges can conserve energy are discussed. Reduction in the use of heat and light can be accomplished by taking several steps, such as reducing the amount of fresh air introduced into heating systems, turning off ventilating fans at night, cutting temperatures back during vacation periods and breaks, lowering the temperature of the hot water in the buildings, installing water flow restricters, decreasing both interior and exterior lighting, and rescheduling classes so that buildings are not heated for a few students. York College's program to conserve energy is described. (DB)

A two-part study examined the relationship between technical troubleshooting behavior and the level of expertise of service technicians who diagnose faulty equipment. The first investigation addressed the differences in the knowledge base that troubleshooters bring to a problem. A group of five novice troubleshooters and five experts was given electric generator sets to repair. The results showed that experts have a much greater depth of understanding of the basic principles and concepts that underlie the operation of generator sets. Experts can also comprehend the function and operation of the generator system, whereas the novices seem to lack an accurate mental model of the operation of the technical systems they repair daily. The second investigation attempted to identify differences in the actual troubleshooting performance of the expert and novice service technicians. In this test, the subjects were instructed to "think aloud" as they worked through a problem with either a faulty fuel pump or an open wire. The primary difference between the troubleshooting performance of the experts and the novices was that the experts were able to select better information and generate better hypotheses, probably because they have more knowledge and their knowledge is organized more effectively. The results of this study can be used to design training programs to reduce the differences between expert and novice technical troubleshooters. (KC)

This report contains summaries and syntheses of materials from the Technical Working Group Meeting for curriculum planning and instructional materials design for vocational and technical education. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the objectives and procedures of the meeting and lists the participants. In chapter 2 are presented summaries of the participants' analytical papers regarding existing methodologies and approaches in curriculum planning, development of instructional materials and facilities, and teacher training in the field of electrical and electronics subjects and in the relevant parts of the science curriculum for general education courses. These countries are represented: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Chapter 3 synthesizes the country experiences under these headings: general education, vocational and technical education, formal and nonformal education, curriculum planning, instructional materials, physical facilities, teacher training, problems and strategies for solving them, innovations, and future plans. Chapter 4 provides guidelines for development of curriculum, instructional materials and physical facilities, and teacher training. Conclusions and recommendations for future regional cooperative action are given in chapter 5. Appendixes include a summary of participant experience from visits, inaugural and closing addresses, and other materials from the meeting. (YLB)

Global warming necessitates a replacement of traditional technologies based on fossil fuels. The number of options is rather limited. Renewable energies will play a dominant role in this process. Whereas biomass and hydro-electricity are limited, wind and photovoltaic power (PV) can be upscaled to large capacities. The technical side of CO2-free technologies has been covered in the bulk of these proceedings. In this paper, we concentrate on the main characteristics of an electricity system based mostly on wind and PV power and the consequences of integrating intermittent technologies. Most practical examples are taken from Germany. The question whether nuclear power can be considered as clean electricity source supplementing renewable energies will be discussed. Nuclear power will still play a role in 2050 and beyond in and outside of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first part of the paper, the basic features of nuclear fission and fusion energy are addressed. In the second part, an overview of energy consumption in the world is presented, which highlights the growing need for electricity from non-CO2 emitting sources, among which nuclear power is expected to play a role. The perspectives for the future of nuclear energy are then discussed, showing that it develops mostly in emerging countries and the small modular reactors are likely to have an increasing role. The third part is devoted to the question of nuclear waste management and to the non-radioactive environmental impact of nuclear energy in comparison with other sources of energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric electric field diurnal variation measured in fair weather conditions over the ocean surface has a typical form which is called a unitary variation. It is associated with the global time and occurs simultaneously all over the planet. However, the diurnal variation, measured over the ground, depends on many local factors. The diurnal variation maximum of the electric field potential gradient, measured at Paratunka observatory, has the maximum close in time to the unitary variation maximum. In the paper we show that this maximum is determined by local conditions and is associated in time with the sunrise. The diurnal variation maximum of the electric field potential gradient, measured at Paratunka observatory in fair weather conditions, has annual variation coinciding with the annual variation of local sunrise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term forecasts indicate that the annual increases in electricity demand by 2030 will be approx. 2 ÷ 3% a year. At present, 40% of the world's electricity is produced using coal-fired power plants. Forecasts indicate that coal will still be the predominant fuel used to produce electricity and thus any actions aimed at increasing the efficiency of electricity production are purposeful. Enormous amounts of waste heat, which is not sufficiently used, are released during the process of electricity production. One of the ways to manage it is to use refrigeration systems based on adsorption chillers which would use waste heat to generate cold that would be employed for air-conditioning or process purposes. In this paper, the cycle of a conventional coal-fired power plant was modelled and then the possibilities of using waste heat for generation of cold as well as the impact of a chiller on the operation of a power unit were analysed using IPSEpro software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) is widely used to convert low temperature heat into electricity using organic working fluid. The performance of an ORC installation is influenced deeply by selected working fluid and operation conditions. Recently has been presented a new generation of working fluids dedicated to ORC systems. They are characterized by near zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) coefficient and significantly smaller GWP (Global Warming Potential) in comparison with currently used refrigerants. This paper presents preliminary research on selected dry and isentropic ORC fluids and some peculiarities in their behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a Dynamic Model of the electricity sector that can be used to simulate the evolution of some key variables on the long term, namely the evolution of the electricity price, of the demand and of the capacity factors of the technologies in the generation mix. This model can be used in different ways and by several agents, for instance to estimate the impact on the electricity price of the increasing presence of renewable power stations, namely using wind power and PV systems. In several countries these stations are paid feed-in tariffs with a fixed price but in some cases this scheme is under discussion and there are opinions that payments determined by the market price are more adequate and would bring fewer costs to final consumers. Such a change has to be carefully evaluated given that the presence of renewable stations bidding at an infra marginal price will affect the price itself. The model described in this paper can be used in a profitable way both by governmental agencies when preparing or studying alternative remuneration schemes to renewable stations or by promoters themselves to get more insight to the profitability of their investments, namely if the fixed feed-in tariffs in force in several countries are changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the problems related with the cold production, i.e. energy efficiency of the process. The idea of solar cooling systems has been presented as the solution of the problem of big electricity demand. The paper discusses the principle of the operation of absorption chillers. Disadvantages and advantages of the solar cooling systems were discussed. The installation for manufacturing high-temperature heat based on solar collectors and concentrator of solar radiation constructed in AGH in Cracow has been presented. This installation is a first stage of projected, complete solar cooling system. The special attention is paid to the dedicated solar high-temperature heat receiver as a most important element of the system. The achieved values of temperature, power and efficiency depending on the working medium flow has been presented and discussed. The intensity of solar radiation during the measurements has been taken into account. Two versions of heat receiver were investigated: non-insulated and insulated with mineral wool. The obtained efficiency of the heat receiver (less than 30%) is not satisfactory but possibility of improvements exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides numerical values of the reliability parameters for independent power sources within the ambient temperature and output power range corresponding to the operation under the climatic conditions of Eastern Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation. We have determined the optimal values of the parameters necessary for the reliable operation of small CHP plants (combined heat and power plants) providing electricity for isolated facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]