Search results for: Saudi Electricity Company

Authors: Vidya Nimkar Tayade

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Introduction: Intellectual capital of an organization is a key factor to success. Many companies invest a huge amount in their Research and development activities. Any innovation is helpful not only to that particular company but also to many other companies, industry and mankind as a whole. Companies undertake innovative changes for increasing their capital profitability and indirectly increase in pay packages of their employees. The quality of human capital can also improve due to such positive changes. Employees become more skilled and experienced due to such innovations and inventions. For increasing intangible capital, the author has referred to a couple of books and referred case studies to come to a conclusion. Different charts and tables are also referred to by the author. Case studies are more important because they are proven and established techniques. They enable students to apply theoretical concepts in real-world situations. It gives solutions to an open-ended problem with multiple potential solutions. There are three different strategies for undertaking intellectual capital increase. They are: Research push strategy/ Technology pushed approach, Market pull strategy/ approach and Open innovation strategy/approach. Research push strategy, In this strategy, research is undertaken and innovation is achieved on its own. After invention inventor company protects such invention and finds buyers for such invention. In this way, the invention is pushed into the market. In this method, research and development are undertaken first and the outcome of this research is commercialized. Market pull strategy, In this strategy, commercial opportunities are identified first and our research is concentrated in that particular area. For solving a particular problem, research is undertaken. It becomes easier to commercialize this type of invention. Because what is the problem is identified first and in that direction, research and development activities are carried on. Open invention strategy, In this type of research, more than one company enters into an agreement of research. The benefits of the outcome of this research will be shared by both companies. Internal and external ideas and technologies are involved. These ideas are coordinated and then they are commercialized. Due to globalization, people from the outside company are also invited to undertake research and development activities. Remuneration of employees of both the companies can increase and the benefit of commercialization of such invention is also shared by both the companies. Conclusion: In modern days, not only can tangible assets be commercialized, but also intangible assets can also be commercialized. The benefits of such an invention can be shared by more than one company. Competition can become more meaningful. Pay packages of employees can improve. It Is a need for time to adopt such strategies to benefit employees, competitors, stakeholders.

Keywords: innovation, protection, management, commercialization

Procedia PDF Downloads 168

Authors: David B. Tsuanyo, Didier Aussel, Yao Azoumah, Pierre Neveu

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An innovative concept called “Flexy-Energy”is developing at 2iE. This concept aims to produce electricity at lower cost by smartly mix different available energies sources in accordance to the load profile of the region. With a higher solar irradiation and due to the fact that Diesel generator are massively used in sub-Saharan rural areas, PV/Diesel hybrid systems could be a good application of this concept and a good solution to electrify this region, provided they are reliable, cost effective and economically attractive to investors. Presentation of the developed approach is the aims of this paper. The PV/Diesel hybrid system designed consists to produce electricity and/or heat from a coupling between Diesel gensets and PV panels without batteries storage, while ensuring the substitution of gasoil by bio-fuels available in the area where the system will be installed. The optimal design of this system is based on his technical performances; the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Levelized Cost of Energy are developed and use as economic criteria. The Net Present Value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR) and the discounted payback (DPB) are also evaluated according to dual electricity pricing (in sunny and unsunny hours). The PV/Diesel hybrid system obtained is compared to the standalone Diesel gensets. The approach carried out in this paper has been applied to Siby village in Mali (Latitude 12 ° 23'N 8 ° 20'W) with 295 kWh as daily demand. This approach provides optimal physical characteristics (size of the components, number of component) and dynamical characteristics in real time (number of Diesel generator on, their load rate, fuel specific consumptions, and PV penetration rate) of the system. The system obtained is slightly cost effective; but could be improved with optimized tariffing strategies.

Keywords: investments criteria, optimization, PV hybrid, sizing, rural electrification

Procedia PDF Downloads 441

Authors: Manal O. Alothman, Judy Robertson

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Teachers can play a huge role in encouraging students to use computers and can affect students’ attitudes towards computers. So understanding teachers’ beliefs and their use of computers is an important way to create effective motivational systems for teachers to use computers in the classroom in an effective way.A qualitative study (6 focus group) was carried out among Saudi High school teachers, both male and female, to examine their attitudes towards computers and to find out their computer skills and usage. The study showed a gender difference in that females were less likely to attend computer workshops, females also had less computer skills, and they have more negative attitudes towards computers than males. Also, the study found that low computer skills in the classroom made students unlikely to have the lessons presented using computers. Furthermore, the study found some factors that affected teachers’ attitudes towards computers. These factors were computer experience and confidence as much having skills and good experience in computer use, the role and importance of computers had become in their life and in teaching as well.

Keywords: attitude, education, student, teacher, technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 293

Authors: Dassou Nagassou

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Recent increase in frequency and severity of climatic impacts throughout the world has put a particular emphasis on the urgency to address the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The latter, mainly composed of carbon dioxide are responsible for the global warming of planet earth. Despite efforts to transition towards a zero-emission economy, manufacturing industries, electricity generation power plants, and transportation sectors continue to encounter challenges which hinder their progress towards a full decarbonization. The growing energy demand from both developed and under-developed economies exacerbates the situation and as a result, more carbon dioxide is discharged into the atmosphere. This situation imposes a lot of constraints on industries which are involved i.e., manufacturing industries, transportation, and electricity generation which must navigate the stringent environmental regulations in order to remain profitable. Existing solutions such as energy efficiencies, green materials (life cycle analysis), and many more have fallen short to address the problem due to their inadaptation to existing infrastructures, low efficiencies, and prohibitive costs. The proposed technology exploits the synergistic interaction between solar radiation and plasma to boost a direct decomposition of the molecules of carbon dioxide while producing alternative fuels which can be used to sustain on-site high-temperature processes via 100% solar energy harvesting in the form of photons and electricity. The advantages of this technology and its ability to be easily integrated into existing systems make it appealing for the industry which can now afford to fast track on the path towards full decarbonization, thanks to the solar plasma reactor. Despite the promising experimental results which proved the viability of this concept, solar-plasma reactors require further investigations to understand the synergistic interactions between plasma and solar radiation for a potential technology scale-up.

Keywords: solar, non-equilibrium, plasma, reactor, greenhouse-gases, solar-fuels

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Authors: Daniel Mokatsanyane, Johnny Jansen Van Rensburg

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The integral role oil-crushing companies play in sunflower oil production is often overlooked to offer high-quality oil to refineries and end consumers. Sunflower oil crushing companies in South Africa are exposed to price fluctuations resulting from the local and international markets. Hedging instruments enable these companies to hedge themselves against unexpected prices spikes and to ensure sustained profitability. A crushing company is a necessary middleman, and as such, these companies have exposure to the purchasing and selling sides of sunflower. Sunflower oil crushing companies purchase sunflower seeds from farmers or agricultural companies that provide storage facilities. The purchasing price is determined by the supply and demand of sunflower seed, both national and international. When the price of sunflower seeds in South Africa is high but still below import parity, then the crush margins realised by these companies are reduced or even negative at times. There are three main products made by sunflower oil crushing companies, oil, meal, and shells. Profits are realised from selling three products, namely, sunflower oil, meal and shells. However, when selling sunflower oil to refineries, sunflower oil crushing companies needs to hedge themselves against a reduction in vegetable oil prices. Hedging oil prices is often done via futures and is subject to specific volume commitments before a hedge position can be taken in. Furthermore, South African oil-crushing companies hedge sunflower oil with international, Over-the-counter contracts as South Africa is a price taker of sunflower oil and not a price maker. As such, South Africa provides a fraction of the world’s sunflower oil supply and, therefore, has minimal influence on price changes. The advantage of hedging using futures ensures that the sunflower crushing company will know the profits they will realise, but the downside is that they can no longer benefit from a price increase. Alternative hedging instruments like options might pose a solution to the opportunity cost does not go missing and that profit margins are locked in at the best possible prices for the oil crushing company. This paper aims to investigate the possibility of employing options alongside futures to simulate different scenarios to determine if options can bridge the opportunity cost gap.

Keywords: derivatives, hedging, price risk, sunflower, sunflower oil, South Africa

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Authors: Orose Rugchati, Sarawut Wattanawongpitak

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This research studied the analysis of the thermal conductivity and heat transfer in porcine meat due to the electric current flowing between the electrode plates in parallel. Hot-boned pork sample was prepared in 2*1*1 cubic centimeter. The finite element method with ANSYS workbench program was applied to simulate this heat transfer problem. In the thermal simulation, the input thermoelectric energy was calculated from measured current that flowing through the pork and the input voltage from the dc voltage source. The comparison of heat transfer in pork according to two voltage sources: DC voltage 30 volts and dc pulsed voltage 60 volts (pulse width 50 milliseconds and 50 % duty cycle) were demonstrated. From the result, it shown that the thermal conductivity trends to be steady at temperature 40C and 60C around 1.39 W/mC and 2.65 W/mC for dc voltage source 30 volts and dc pulsed voltage 60 volts, respectively. For temperature increased to 50C at 5 minutes, the appearance color of porcine meat at the exposer point has become to fade. This technique could be used for predicting of thermal conductivity caused by some meat’s characteristics.

Keywords: thermal conductivity, porcine meat, electricity, finite element method

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Authors: Puttharapong Sakulwaropas, Uraiwan Jaroengeratikun

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Casualty insurance business, the optimal premium pricing and adequate cost for an insurance company are important in risk management. Normally, the insurance pure premium can be determined by multiplying the claim frequency with the claim cost. The aim of this research was to study in the application of generalized linear models to select the risk factor for model of claim frequency and claim cost for estimating a pure premium. In this study, the data set was the claim of comprehensive motor insurance, which was provided by one of the insurance company in Thailand. The results of this study found that the risk factors significantly related to pure premium at the 0.05 level consisted of no claim bonus (NCB) and used of the car (Car code).

Keywords: generalized linear models, risk factor, pure premium, regression model

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Authors: Khadijah Hasim, Achmad Fauzan Firdaus, Choirunnisa

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Waqf land which previously was idle assets can be built on top of a building that is a means for people to conduct business. Nadzir (waqf managers) lease of waqf lands it manages, the agreed rental fee, which is payable in the form of the building, not in cash. After standing building, the developer will lease to interested companies. Given the magnitude of the beginning funds needed, The company later issuing sukuk al-intifa on the trading floor. With this sukuk issuance, the company has sufficient capital to begin operations and pay obligations of the rental fee to the developer each year. Building that had stood trade area will be established (Micro, Small, Middle Entreprises) MSMEs. It is expected that through the sukuk al-intifa, can help to make waqf land previously unproductive due to lack of capital to be very beneficial and help awaken the people of Indonesian MSMEs

Keywords: Sukuk Al-Intifa, MSMEs, waqf land, underlying asset

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Authors: Mohamed Mohsen

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The purpose of this study is to explore the level of service quality performance from the perspectives of hotel guests. The aim is to examine hotel guests’ perceptions of service quality performance and its relation with their brand loyalty and gender. The study utilized the instrument of SERVPERF developed by Cronin and Taylor (1992) to measure service quality performance. The study was conducted in three upscale hotels in Saudi Arabia. The study found that service quality performance is significantly correlated to both brand loyalty and gender of hotel guests. The study also found that loyal and female hotel guests have perceptions of service quality performance than do non-loyal and male hotel guests. This research is the first empirical study in the Middle East that links service quality performance with brand loyalty and gender of hotel guests.

Keywords: service quality, SERVPERF, customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, gender

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Authors: A. Calvin Antony, Sakthi Kumar Arul Prakash, V. R. Sanal Kumar

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In this paper a unique alpha-beta double piston 'stirling engine' is designed, manufactured and conducted laboratory test to ameliorate the efficiency of the stirling engine. The paper focuses on alpha and beta type engines, capturing their benefits and eradicating their short comings; along with the output observed from the flywheel. In this model alpha engine is kinematically with a piston cylinder arrangement which works quite like a beta engine. The piston of the new cylinder is so designed that it replicates a glued displacer and power piston as similar to that of beta engine. The bigger part of the piston is the power piston, which has a gap around it, while the smaller part of the piston is tightly fit in the cylinder and acts like the displacer piston. We observed that the alpha-beta double piston stirling engine produces 25% increase in power compare to a conventional alpha stirling engine. This working model is a pointer towards for the design and development of an alpha-beta double piston Stirling engine for industrial applications for producing electricity from the heat producing exhaust gases.

Keywords: alpha-beta double piston stirling engine , alpha stirling engine , beta double piston stirling engine , electricity from stirling engine

Procedia PDF Downloads 533

Authors: Rishabh Agrawal, S. C. Kaushik, T. S. Bhatti

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In order to reduce energy consumption for sustainable development, continuous energy consumption tracking of building energy systems are essential. In this paper an assessment study has been done to identify the energy consumption & energy conservation potential for commercial buildings sector in Karnataka state, India. There are a total of 326 commercial buildings in the state of Karnataka who has qualified as designated consumers (i.e., having a Contract Demand ≥ 600 KVA), was consider for the study. It has estimated that the annual electricity sale to commercial sector is 3.62 Billion Units (BU) in alone Karnataka State, India, which is an account for 9.57 % of the total electricity sold. The commercial sector constitutes Government & private establishments, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, educational institutions, malls etc. Total 326 commercial buildings in the state accounting for annual energy consumption of 1295.72 Million Units (MU) which works out to about 35% of the sectoral consumption. The annual energy savings potential for 326 commercial buildings is assessed to be 0.25 BU.

Keywords: commercial buildings, connected load, energy conservation studies, energy savings, energy efficiency, energy conservation strategy, energy efficiency, thermal energy, HVAC system

Procedia PDF Downloads 580

Authors: Ali Saeed Alghamdi, Basel Mazen Alsolami, Basel Saeed Alghamdi, Muhanad Saleh Alzahrani Alamri, Salman Anwar Thabet, Abdulhalim J. Kinsara

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Objectives: This study measures the knowledge of the cardiovascular disease among the general population in western regions of Saudi Arabia, and it aimed to increase the level of awareness about cardiovascular diseases among the general population by providing an awareness lecture that included information about the risk factors, major symptoms, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The lecture has been attached at the end of the questionnaire. Setting: This study was conducted through an online questionnaire that included our aim and main objectives that targeted the general population in the Western regions of Saudi Arabia (Makkah and Madinah regions). Participants: This study participants were 460 collected through an online questionnaire. Methods: All Saudi citizens and residents who live in the western region of Saudi Arabia aged 18 years and above will be invited to participate voluntarily. A pre-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data on age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, lifestyle habits, and history of heart diseases, with cardiac symptoms and risk factors sections. Results: The majority of respondents were females (74.8%) and Saudis. The knowledge about cardiovascular disease risk factors was weak. Only (18.5%) scores an excellent response regarding risk factors awareness. Lack of exercise, stress, and obesity were the most known risk factors. Regarding cardiovascular disease symptoms, chest pain scores the highest symptom (87.6%) among other symptoms like dyspnea, syncope, and excessive sweating. Participants revealed a poor awareness regarding cardiovascular disease symptoms also (0.9%). However, preventable factors for cardiovascular diseases were more knowledgeable than others categories in this study (60% fall into excellent knowledge). Smoking cessation, normal cholesterol level, and normal blood pressure score the highest preventable methods (92.2%), (88.6%), and (78.7%) respectively. 83.7% of the participant have attended the awareness lecture, and 99 of the attendees reported that the lecture increased their knowledge about cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: This study discussed the level of community awareness of cardiovascular disease in terms of symptoms, risk factors, and protective factors. We found a huge lack of the participant's level of knowledge about the disease and how to prevent it. Moreover, we measure the prevalence of the comorbidities among our participants (diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia/ hypertriglyceridemia) and their extent of adherence to their medication. In conclusion, this study not only demonstrates awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors, symptoms, management, and the association between each domain but also provides educational material. Further educational material and campaigns are required to increase awareness and knowledge about cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: awareness, cardiovascular diseases, education, prevention, risk factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 131

Authors: Sreto Boljevic

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In the absence of considerable investment in electricity generation, transmission and distribution network (DN) capacity, the demand for electrical energy will quickly strain the capacity of the existing electrical power network. With anticipated growth and proliferation of Electric vehicles (EVs) and Heat pump (HPs) identified the likelihood that the additional load from EV changing and the HPs operation will require capital investment in the DN. While an area-wide implementation of EVs and HPs will contribute to the decarbonization of the energy system, they represent new challenges for the existing low-voltage (LV) network. Distributed energy resources (DER), operating both as part of the DN and in the off-network mode, have been offered as a means to meet growing electricity demand while maintaining and ever-improving DN reliability, resiliency and power quality. DN planning has traditionally been done by forecasting future growth in demand and estimating peak load that the network should meet. However, new problems are arising. These problems are associated with a high degree of proliferation of EVs and HPs as load imposes on DN. In addition to that, the promotion of electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES). High distributed generation (DG) penetration and a large increase in load proliferation at low-voltage DNs may have numerous impacts on DNs that create issues that include energy losses, voltage control, fault levels, reliability, resiliency and power quality. To mitigate negative impacts and at a same time enhance positive impacts regarding the new operational state of DN, CHP system integration can be seen as best action to postpone/reduce capital investment needed to facilitate promotion and maximize benefits of EVs, HPs and RES integration in low-voltage DN. The aim of this paper is to generate an algorithm by using an analytical approach. Algorithm implementation will provide a way for optimal placement of the CHP system in the DN in order to maximize the integration of RES and increase in proliferation of EVs and HPs.

Keywords: combined heat & power (CHP), distribution networks, EVs, HPs, RES

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: Muhammd Usman Sardar, Mazhar Hussain Baloch, Muhammad Shahbaz Ahmad, Zahir Javed Paracha

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Likewise other developing countries in the world, Pakistan is furthermore suffering from electrical energy deficiency as adverse well-being nominated. Its generation of electricity has become reliant onto a great range of conventional sources since the last ten of years. The foreseeable exhaustion of petroleum and conventional resources will be alarming in continued growth and development for future in Pakistan so renewable energy interchange have to be employed by interesting the majority of power grid network. Energy adding-up through solar photovoltaic based systems and projects can offset the shortfall to such an extent with this sustainable natural resources and most promising technologies. An assessment of solar energy potential for electricity generation is being presented for fulfilling the energy demands with higher level of reliability. This research study estimates the present and future approaching renewable energy resource for power generation to off-grid independent setup or energizing the existed conventional power grids of Pakistan to becoming self-sustained for its entire outfit.

Keywords: powergrid network, solar photovoltaic setups, solar power generation, solar energy technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 434

Authors: Abdessalem Abbassi, Ahlem Dakhlaoui, Lota D. Tamini

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This article analyses management of hydropower dams within two different industrial structures: monopolistic and oligopolistic; when hydroelectricity producers are risk averse and face demand uncertainty. In each type of market structure we determine the water release path in closed-loop equilibrium. We show how a monopoly can manage its hydropower dams by additional pumping or storage depending on the relative abundance of water between different regions to smooth the effect of uncertainty on electricity prices. In the oligopolistic case with symmetric rates of risk aversion, we determine the conditions under which the relative scarcity (abundance) of water in the dam of a hydroelectric operator can favor additional strategic pumping (storage) in its competitor’s dams. When there is asymmetry of the risk aversion coefficient, the firm’s hydroelectricity production increases as its competitor’s risk aversion increases, if and only if the average recharge speed of the competitor’s dam exceeds a certain threshold, which is an increasing function of its average water inflows.

Keywords: asymmetric risk aversion, closed-loop Cournot competition, electricity wholesale market, hydropower dams

Procedia PDF Downloads 354

Authors: Essam Amerian

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of improving waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and visceral fat components on the health of shift workers in an offshore petrochemical company. A total of 100 male shift workers participated in the study, with an average age of 40.5 years and an average BMI of 28.2 kg/m². The study employed a randomized controlled trial design, with participants assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received a 12-week program that included dietary counseling, physical activity recommendations, and stress management techniques. The control group received no intervention. The outcomes measured were changes in WHR, visceral fat components, blood pressure, and lipid profile. The results showed that the intervention group had a statistically significant improvement in WHR (p<0.001) and visceral fat components (p<0.001) compared to the control group. Furthermore, there were statistically significant improvements in systolic blood pressure (p=0.015) and total cholesterol (p=0.034) in the intervention group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that implementing a 12-week program that includes dietary counseling, physical activity recommendations, and stress management techniques can effectively improve WHR, visceral fat components, and cardiovascular health among shift workers in an offshore petrochemical company.

Keywords: body composition, waist-hip-ratio, visceral fat, shift worker, work efficiency

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Authors: Sanoj Sahu, Ramakar Jha

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Odisha (India) is in need of reliable, cost-effective power generation. A prolonged electricity crisis and increasing power demand have left over thousands of citizens without access to electricity, and much of the population suffers from sporadic outages. The purpose of this project is to build a methodology to evaluate small hydropower potential, which can be used to alleviate the Odisha’s energy problem among rural communities. This project has three major tasks: the design of a simple SHEP for a single location along a river in the Odisha; the development of water flow prediction equations through a linear regression analysis; and the design of an ArcGIS toolset to estimate the flow duration curves (FDCs) at locations where data do not exist. An explanation of the inputs to the tool, as well has how it produces a suitable output for SHEP evaluation will be presented. The paper also gives an explanation of hydroelectric power generation in the Odisha, SHEPs, and the technical and practical aspects of hydroelectric power. Till now, based on topographical and rainfall analysis we have located hundreds of sites. Further work on more number of site location and accuracy of location is to be done.

Keywords: small hydropower, ArcGIS, rainfall analysis, Odisha’s energy problem

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Authors: Naci Büyükkaracığan, Murat Ahmet Ökmen

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Emerging demand for energy in developing countries rapid population growth and industrialization are causing a rapid increase, such as Turkey. Energy is an important and indispensable factor in the industry. At the same time, energy is one of the main indicators that reflect a country's economic and social development potential. There is a linear relationship between the energy consumption and social development, and in parallel this situation, it is seen that energy consumption increase with economic growth and prosperity. In recent year’s, energy sources consumption is increasingly continuing, because of population growth and economy in Turkey. 80% of the energy used in Turkey is supplied from abroad. At the same time, while almost all of the energy obtained from our country is met by hydropower. Alternatively, studies of determining and using potential renewable energy sources such as solar energy have been realized for recent years. In this study, first of all, the situation of energy sources was examined in Turkey. Information of reserve/capacity, production and consumption values of energy sources were emphasized. For this purpose, energy production and consumption, CO2 emission and electricity energy consumption of countries were investigated. Energy consumption and electricity energy consumption per capita were comparatively analyzed.

Keywords: energy potential, alternative energy sources, solar energy, Turkey

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Authors: Parisa Javid

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In architecture, daylight contributes to humans' mental and physical well-being and reduces the consumption of fossil fuels. Accordingly, Iran's rich architecture has valuable achievements and experiences that should be recognized and introduced to the Iranian and international architecture communities. There are many ways to reduce energy consumption in buildings, but electricity accounts for a large part of that consumption. Lighting up spaces with natural light is a significant factor in reducing energy consumption and preventing electricity dissipation. Aside from being expensive, electric lighting systems cause excessive heat and physical injury (eyes). This study is based on library records and documents. Modern lighting systems are used to reduce energy consumption in the interior of a building to allow for optimal transmission of natural light. It discusses how to use natural light in architecture and the benefits of natural light in buildings. Solar energy can be used more efficiently, and electrical power can be saved in residential, administrative, commercial, and educational buildings by using new methods such as light tubes and mirror directors. Modern lighting systems, natural light, and reduced energy consumption are keywords for these systems, which quickly return their investment.

Keywords: modern lighting systems, natural light, reduced energy consumption

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Authors: Ming-Chan Chung, Wen-Ming Huang, Yi-Chu Liu, Li-Hui Yang, Ming-Jyh Chen

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introduction: Hospital buildings require considerable energy, including air conditioning, lighting, elevators, heating, and medical equipment. Energy consumption in hospitals is expected to increase significantly due to innovative equipment and continuous development plans. Consequently, the environment and climate will be adversely affected. Hospitals should therefore consider transforming from their traditional role of saving lives to being at the forefront of global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As healthcare providers, it is our responsibility to provide a high-quality environment while using as little energy as possible. Purpose / Methods: Compare the energy-saving benefits of solar photovoltaic systems and solar hot water systems. The proportion of electricity consumption effectively reduced after the installation of solar photovoltaic systems. To comprehensively assess the potential benefits of utilizing solar energy for both photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal applications in hospitals, a solar PV system was installed covering a total area of 28.95 square meters in 2021. Approval was obtained from the Taiwan Power Company to integrate the system into the hospital's electrical infrastructure for self-use. To measure the performance of the system, a dedicated meter was installed to track monthly power generation, which was then converted into area output using an electric energy conversion factor. This research aims to compare the energy efficiency of solar PV systems and solar thermal systems. Results: Using the conversion formula between electrical and thermal energy, we can compare the energy output of solar heating systems and solar photovoltaic systems. The comparative study draws upon data from February 2021 to February 2023, wherein the solar heating system generated an average of 2.54 kWh of energy per panel per day, while the solar photovoltaic system produced 1.17 kWh of energy per panel per day, resulting in a difference of approximately 2.17 times between the two systems. Conclusions: After conducting statistical analysis and comparisons, it was found that solar thermal heating systems offer higher energy and greater benefits than solar photovoltaic systems. Furthermore, an examination of literature data and simulations of the energy and economic benefits of solar thermal water systems and solar-assisted heat pump systems revealed that solar thermal water systems have higher energy density values, shorter recovery periods, and lower power consumption than solar-assisted heat pump systems. Through monitoring and empirical research in this study, it has been concluded that a heat pump-assisted solar thermal water system represents a relatively superior energy-saving and carbon-reducing solution for medical institutions. Not only can this system help reduce overall electricity consumption and the use of fossil fuels, but it can also provide more effective heating solutions.

Keywords: sustainable development, energy conservation, carbon reduction, renewable energy, heat pump system

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Authors: Xiaojun Wang

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In a lucky emerging market, most Sino commercial banks has developed rapidly and achieved dazzling performance in recent years. As a large sound commercial bank with long history, Wells Fargo Company(WFC) is taken as a mirror in this paper in order to roughly find out the relevance on life circle of the Sino banks in comparison with WFC. Two financial measures return on equity(ROE) and overall labor productivity(OLP), three commercial banks the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited(HSBC), the Bank of Communication(BCM) and China Minsheng Bank(CMSB) are selected. The comparison data coming from historical annual reports of each company vary from 13 years to 51 years. Several conclusions from the results indicate that most Sino commercial banks would be continually developing with lower financial measures performance for later several decades.

Keywords: commercial bank, features comparison, labor productivity, return on equity

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Authors: M. A. Badr, M. N. El Kordy, A. N. Mohib, M. M. Ibrahim

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The basic objective of the research is to study the effect of hybrid wind energy on the cost of generated electricity considering the cost of reduction CO₂ emissions. The system consists of small wind turbine(s), storage battery bank and a diesel generator (W/D/B). Using an optimization software package, different system configurations are investigated to reach optimum configuration based on the net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE) as economic optimization criteria. The cost of avoided CO₂ is taken into consideration. The system is intended to supply the electrical load of a small community (gathering six families) in a remote Egyptian area. The investigated system is not connected to the electricity grid and may replace an existing conventional diesel powered electric supply system to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The simulation results showed that W/D energy system is more economic than diesel alone. The estimated COE is 0.308$/kWh and extracting the cost of avoided CO₂, the COE reached 0.226 $/kWh which is an external benefit of wind turbine, as there are no pollutant emissions through operational phase.

Keywords: hybrid wind turbine systems, remote areas electrification, simulation of hybrid energy systems, techno-economic study

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Authors: Silke Bustamante, Andrea Pelzeter, Andreas Deckmann, Rudi Ehlscheidt, Franziska Freudenberger

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CSR is associated with a great number of positive effects. This also includes the positive impact of CSR on the commitment of its employees. The internal CSR communication here takes the essential function as a mediator of the CSR performance of a company to the employees. The importance of CSR communication is, therefore, essential. Employees can usually only perceive the CSR efforts of a company if it is also communicated to them. Only if the employees perceive the CSR of their employer positively, the employer-CSR can also have a positive impact on their affective commitment. Therefore, organizational and individual factors are crucial and thus need to consider. This relationship between the organizational and individual factors was investigated in a qualitative case study in six companies of the German service sector. Expert interviews and focus group interviews were conducted and questionnaire-based ratings by company representatives were raised. Among the individual factors, in terms of CSR, the expectations and relevance of its employees, as well as the perception of CSR by the staff, are included. The organizational factors include the actual CSR performance and its communication. Ultimately, the impact of CSR on the commitment is examined with this holistic approach. The results show that the individual CSR perception does not always match the corporate CSR performance and its depiction in internal communication. Furthermore, employees have given suggestions on how CSR should be communicated by their employer. Knowledge memory systems (e.g. wiki) on the on hand and media-based information, on the other hand, were highlighted. Primarily the employee-related CSR is most important for the employees, whereas ecological CSR activities hardly play a role. The findings indicate the importance of CSR communication in the CSR concept as it provides the missing link between CSR performance and appreciation by an increase in commitment. It should only be communicated, what is done. CSR communication should also be carried out in a plausible and transparent way.

Keywords: CSR, employee commitment, employer brand, internal communication

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Authors: Abdullah S. Alghamdi, Khaled Alghamdi, Richard O. Jenkins, Parvez I. Haris

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Background: Unhealthy diet is one of the modifiable risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Improvement in diet can be beneficial for countering diabetes. For example, HbA1c, an important biomarker for diabetes, can be reduced by 1.1% through only alteration in diet. Ramadan fasting has been reported to provide positive health benefits. However, optimal benefits are not achieved, often due to poor dietary habits and lifestyle. There is a need to better understand the dietary habits of people fasting during Ramadan, so that necessary improvements can be made to develop this form of fasting as a non-pharmacological strategy for management and prevention of T2DM. Aim: This study aimed to assess the dietary patterns of Saudi adult patients with T2DM over three different periods (before, during, and after Ramadan) and relate this to HbA1c levels. Methods: This study recruited 82 Saudi with T2DM, who chose to fast during Ramadan, from the Endocrine and Diabetic Centre of Al Iman General Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ethical approvals for the study were obtained from De Montfort University and Saudi Ministry of Health. Dietary patterns were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire in each period. This assessment included the diet type and frequency. Blood samples were collected in each period for determination of HbA1c. Results: The number of meals per day for the participants significantly decreased during Ramadan (P < 0.001). The consumption of fruit and vegetables significantly increased during Ramadan (P = 0.017). However, the consumption of sugary drinks significantly increased during and after Ramadan (P = 0.005). Approximately 60% of the patients indicated that they ate sugary foods at least once per week. The consumption of bread and rice was reported to be at least two times per week. The consumption of rice significantly reduced during Ramadan (P = 0.002). The mean HbA1c significantly varied between periods (P = 0.001), with lowest level during Ramadan compared to before and after Ramadan. The increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables had a medium effect size on the reduction in HbA1c during Ramadan. There was a variance of 7.7% in the mean difference in HbA1c levels between groups (who changed their fruit and vegetable consumption) which can be accounted for by the increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Likewise, 9.3% of the variance in the mean HbA1c difference between the groups was accounted for by a decrease in the consumption of rice. Conclusion: The increase in the frequency of fruit and vegetables intake, and especially the reduction in the frequency of rice consumption, during Ramadan produce beneficial effects in reducing HbA1c level. Therefore, further improving the dietary habits of patients with T2DM, such as reducing their sugary drinks intake, may help them to obtain greater benefits from Ramadan fasting in the management of their diabetes. It is recommended that dietary guidance is provided to the public to maximise health benefits through Ramadan fasting.

Keywords: Diabetes, Diet, Fasting, HbA1c, Ramadan

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Authors: Bara M. Yousef

Abstract:

Kingdome of Saudi Arabia (KSA). High numbers of traffic accidents with sever, moderate and mild level of impairments admits to Sultan bin Abdulaziz humanitarian city. Over a period of 4 months the city received 111 male and 79 female subjects with CP, who received 4-6 weeks of rehabilitation and using WeeFIM score to measure rehabilitation outcomes. WeeFIM measures and covers various domains, such as: self-care, mobility, locomotion, communication and other psycho-social aspects. Our findings shed the light on the fact that nearly 85% of people at admission got better after rehabilitation program services at individual sever moderate and mild and has arrange of (59 out of 128 WeeFIM score) and by the time of discharge they leave the city with better FIM score close to (72 out of 128 WeeFIM score) for the entire study sample. WeeFIM score is providing fair evidence to rehabilitation specialists to assess their outcomes. However there is a need to implement other instruments and compare it to WeeFIM in order to reach better outcomes at discharge level.

Keywords: Cerepral Palsy (CP), pediatric Functional Independent Measure (WeeFIM), rehabilitation, disability

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Authors: Hannan Al-Qanai, Haitham Mustafa, Rajeswaran Sivasankar

Abstract:

Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC, Company), established in 2016 as a subsidiary to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), is responsible for operating and managing the largest grassroots integrated complex for refining, petrochemicals manufacture businesses, and liquefied natural gas import facilities at Al-Zour, Kuwait. KIPIC and its Contractors/sub-contractors employ over 69,000 staff in its current projects at Al-Zour during peak construction activity. KIPIC holds a unique responsibility to the society, which includes all stakeholders, and demonstrates its social commitment in developing an integrated environment & social management system (ESMS) and ensuring sustainability. This paper mainly demonstrates the knowledge on corporate branding from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective and presents the achievements and best practices of KIPIC in the field of CSR and the challenges faced in handling social issues. Moreover, the study is based on qualitative data abstracted from KIPIC Health, Safety, Security & Environment Management System (HSSE MS) procedures, audit reports, the outcome of counseling sessions, national and international laws and regulations, and International Guidelines on Environment and Social Management System (ESMS). KIPIC has committed to caring for the environmental concerns and acting on social as they do on profits and economic growth. The main findings of this paper are that the successful implementation and operationalization of CSR within an organization depends on a simple but stringent process with both top-down and bottom-up commitment.

Keywords: welfare, corporate social responsibility, social management, sustainability

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Authors: Tayirjan Taylor Isimjan, Essam Jamea, Muien Qaryouti

Abstract:

The demand for efficient greenhouse production is escalating, necessitating continuous improvements in controlled plant growth environments. Central to maximizing growth are critical light-related factors, including quantity, quality, and geometric distribution of intercepted radiation. This becomes particularly crucial in regions like the Middle East, characterized by high solar radiation and dusty atmospheric conditions. Existing greenhouse technologies often rely on additional expensive equipment to manage light conditions effectively. In this study, we propose a distinct approach employing functional coatings to mitigate dust and block UV and IR radiation, thereby conserving energy and enhancing productivity. By combining UV-IR reflective coatings with dust mitigation strategies, we aim to address both environmental challenges and energy consumption issues faced by greenhouse agriculture in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: greenhouse, UV-IR reflective coatings, dust mitigation, energy efficiency, productivity

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Authors: Emile Niringiyimana, LI Ji Qing, Giovanni Dushimimana, Virginie Umwere

Abstract:

The development and utilization of renewable energy (RE) can not only effectively reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but also became a solution to electricity shortage mitigation in rural areas. Hybrid RE systems are promising ways to provide consistent and continuous power for isolated areas. This work investigated the prospect and cost effectiveness of hybrid system complementarity between a 100kW solar PV system and a small-scale 200kW hydropower station in the South of Rwanda. In order to establish the optimal size of a RE system with adequate sizing of system components, electricity demand, solar radiation, hydrology, climate data are utilized as system input. The average daily solar radiation in Rukarara is 5.6 kWh/m2 and average wind speed is 3.5 m/s. The ideal integrated RE system, according to Homer optimization, consists of 91.21kW PV, 146kW hydropower, 12 x 24V li-ion batteries with a 20kW converter. The method of enhancing such hybrid systems control, sizing and choice of components is to reduce the Net present cost (NPC) of the system, unmet load, the cost of energy and reduction of CO2. The power consumption varies according to dominant source of energy in the system by controlling the energy compensation depending on the generation capacity of each power source. The initial investment of the RE system is $977,689.25, and its operation and maintenance expenses is $142,769.39 over a 25-year period. Although the investment is very high, the targeted profits in future are huge, taking into consideration of high investment in rural electrification structure implementations, tied with an increase of electricity cost and the 5 years payback period. The study outcomes suggest that the standalone hybrid PV-Hydropower system is feasible with zero pollution in Rukara community.

Keywords: HOMER optimization, hybrid power system, renewable energy, NPC and solar pv systems

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Authors: Ali Asghar Asad Sangabi, Afsaneh Aeen, Mohammad Behroozi

Abstract:

Knowledge management is vital in today's world as one of the most valuable intangible assets regarded by companies. This study aimed to identify factors that affect the application of knowledge management in the Iranian Oil Terminals Company in 2022. In this study, 12 of the factors affecting the application of knowledge management have been studied, and implement practical solutions, and reuse has been studied. This study is descriptive data from the questionnaire factors affecting knowledge management application used by Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha equal to 0.85. The population of this study consisted of 1500 IOTC employees. The sample is determined by the Cochran formula sample; the results of this study showed that between the application of knowledge management and factors, there is a significant correlation. Among the factors that have been studied, valuable teamwork and organizational culture were the most effective, and the infrastructure of information systems had the least impact on Knowledge management.

Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge-based organization, Iranian Oil Terminals

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Authors: Ahmad Mohammad Sharqi, Mohamed Hechmi El Ouni, Saleh Alsulamy

Abstract:

Due to the emerging technologies revolution worldwide, the need to exploit and employ innovative technologies for other functions and purposes in different aspects has become a remarkable matter. Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most powerful economic countries in the world, where the construction sector participates effectively in its economy. Thus, the construction sector in KSA should convoy the rapid digital revolution and transformation and implement smart devices on sites. A Smart Construction Site (SCS) includes smart devices, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, augmented reality, building information modeling, geographical information systems, and cloud information. This paper aims to study the level of implementation of SCS in KSA, analyze the obstacles and challenges of adopting SCS and find out critical success factors for its implementation. A survey of close-ended questions (scale and multi-choices) has been conducted on professionals in the construction sector of Saudi Arabia. A total number of twenty-nine questions has been prepared for respondents. Twenty-four scale questions were established, and those questions were categorized into several themes: quality, scheduling, cost, occupational safety and health, technologies and applications, and general perception. Consequently, the 5-point Likert scale tool (very low to very high) was adopted for this survey. In addition, five close-ended questions with multi-choice types have also been prepared; these questions have been derived from a previous study implemented in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Dominic Republic (DR), these questions have been rearranged and organized to fit the structured survey in order to place the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in comparison with the United Kingdom (UK) as well as the Dominican Republic (DR). A total number of one hundred respondents have participated in this survey from all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: southern, central, western, eastern, and northern regions. The drivers, obstacles, and success factors for implementing smart devices and technologies in KSA’s construction sector have been investigated and analyzed. Besides, it has been concluded that KSA is on the right path toward adopting smart construction sites with attractive results comparable to and even better than the UK in some factors.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, construction projects management, internet of things, smart construction sites, smart devices

Procedia PDF Downloads 156