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- All Subjects: Sustainability
- Genre: Masters Thesis
Description
In recent years, many school districts, community colleges, and universities in California have implemented energy management-as-a-service (EMaaS). The purpose of this study was to analyzes how EMaaS has been realized in California schools, including how performance expectations and service guarantees have been met, how value is created and captured, and which trends are emerging in the pay-for-performance models. This study used a qualitative research design to identify patterns in the collected data and allow theories to be drawn from the emergent categories and themes. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse pool of facility managers, energy practitioners, superintendents, and associate superintendents working with EMaaS. Four themes emerged (1) peak shaving overperformance, (2) low risk/reward, (3) performance exactly as expected, and (4) hope in future flexibility. This study reveals medium to high levels of performance satisfaction from the customers of cloud-enabled and battery-based EMaaS in California schools. Value has been captured primarily through peak shaving and intelligent bill management. Large campuses with higher peaks are especially good at delivering energy savings, and in some instances without pairing batteries and solar. Where demand response participation is permitted by the utility companies, the quality of demand response performance is mixed, with performance being exactly as expected to slightly less than expected. The EMaaS business model is positioned to help California schools implement and achieve many of their future sustainability goals in a cost-effective way.
ContributorsHawkins, Spencer (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Parrish, Kristen (Thesis advisor) / Standage, Richard (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Contemporary renewable energy transitions require the extraction of critical minerals necessary to produce new green technologies. The Stibnite Gold Project located in Valley County, Idaho, is one of many proposed mine sites to supply raw materials for renewable energy infrastructure. A variety of actors including the mine operator, Perpetua Resources, use varying approaches to risk to measure the impacts of potential mine operations. A formal permitting process facilitated by US regulatory bodies assess these risks and proposals for their mitigation. This study examines the permitting process for the proposed mine, the Stibnite Gold Project, in Idaho in order to better understand what risks are considered and how they are conceptualized. Specifically, it examines public discourse from the mine operator Perpetua Resources, key regulators, key NGOs, and the Nez Perce tribal community. A critical discourse analysis reveals the development of distinct risk, economic, restorative, and decision authority narratives among each actor. These narratives shape approaches to risk. However, they also reveal settler colonialism and other intersecting systems of oppression are reinstated and/or resisted in each actors approach to risk. Drawing on existing literature as well as new empirical data from the discourse analysis, this study shows limits to prevailing approaches to risk that need to be addressed so that future efforts to advance sustainability-driven renewable energy transitions do not impose unjust costs on Indigenous peoples.
ContributorsStempel, Khampha (Author) / Calhoun, Craig (Thesis advisor) / Carralero, Pamela (Committee member) / Klinsky, Sonja (Committee member) / Nelson, Melissa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
This paper will explore the existing relationship between direct air capture (DAC)technology and energy justice (EJ) principles. As DAC is a nascent technology that is
transitioning from the R&D phase to the deployment phase, a standard for typical scaling
practices has not yet been established. Additionally, since the industry of DAC aims to
capture at least 10 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2050, and at least 20 Gt/yr by
2100, the scaling practices of this technology will have a significant impact on
communities around the world. Therefore, in this thesis I argue that if DAC is not scaled
equitably, it will negatively impact the communities hosting the technology, and would
develop a negative reputation which could slow down the overall scaling process. On the
flip side, if DAC is scaled equitably, then it could create a positive effect by being
deployed in underserved and marginalized communities and providing an economic
benefit. This could result in DAC having a positive reputation and scaling more rapidly.
In order to understand how the field viewed the integration of EJ principles into the
scaling process, I interviewed representatives from DAC companies, experts in energy
justice from NGOs and academia, and local government officials. These interviews were
semi-structured, open-ended and conducted anonymously. Through these interviews I
was able to refine my arguments and put forward a set of guidelines that the industry
could use to scale DAC with equity and justice as core principles.
ContributorsSriramprasad, Vishrudh (Author) / Lackner, Klaus S (Thesis advisor) / Miller, Clark (Committee member) / Green, Matt (Committee member) / Hanemann, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Promoting human wellbeing is a core tenet of human development and sustainability research and practice. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to examine drivers of distinct aspects of wellbeing in an urban setting. Understanding how nature interactions impact human wellbeing is pertinent during the pandemic given the abrupt changes in lifestyle and anxiety experienced by many people. Through a quantitative analysis of 2021 survey data in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, I explored how distinct nature recreation activities, along with nature satisfaction and social capital in their neighborhoods, affected residents’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. To conceptualize wellbeing holistically, I employed a tripartite model of health encompassing subjective wellbeing, physical health, and mental health. Data from the 2021 Phoenix Area Social Survey were analyzed coupled with geospatial environmental factors that linked to survey respondents. With linear and logistic regression models, I examined how different types of nature recreation, along with local environmental and social factors, influence Phoenix residents’ life satisfaction, common health diagnoses, and depression and anxiety.
Results indicate that perceived social and environmental attributes of neighborhoods and proximity to desert preserves had a more significant impact on subjective wellbeing than nature recreation. Age and park visitation largely influenced physical health, while socio-demographic factors had the largest impact on mental health. Changes in nature recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly impact any dimension of wellbeing among the survey sample. This research demonstrates that distinct aspects of wellbeing have different drivers, and multiple environmental and social features should be considered when designing happy and healthy communities. Additionally, the design and management of human‒environment dynamics at the local level can improve residents’ subjective wellbeing. Research should continue investigating trends and drivers of human wellbeing to support sustainability goals into the future in order to promote wellbeing in urban communities.
ContributorsMitchell, Abigail Jenn Holst (Author) / Larson, Kelli L (Thesis advisor) / Rosales Chavez, Jose-Benito (Committee member) / Pfeiffer, Deirdre (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Although Saudi Arabia is moving towards a sustainable future, Existing residential buildings in the country are extremely unsustainable. Therefore, there is a necessity for greening the existing residential building. Mostadam green rating systems was developed by the Saudi ministry of housing in 2019 to address the long-term sustainability vision in residential buildings in the country. By setting Mostadam requirements as an objective of the retrofit process, it will ensure that the building achieve sustainability. However, Mostadam is new and there is a lack of knowledge of implementing its requirements on existing buildings. The aim of this research is to develop a framework to green existing residential buildings in Saudi Arabia to achieve Mostadam energy and water minimum requirements. The framework was developed based on an extensive keyword-based search and an analysis of 92 relevant research. The process starts with assessing the building against the minimum requirements of energy and water of Mostadam. After that, optimization phase is conducted. Building information modelling is used in the optimization phase. Energy and water efficiency optimization measures are identified from the analysed literature. Revit is used in the base model authoring and Green building studio cloud is used to simulate the energy and water efficiency measures. Then, payback period is calculated for all the efficiency measured to assess the decision making. A case study of a villa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is provided. result shows that the implemented efficiency measures led to an increment of 37.5% in annual energy savings and 26.1% in the annual water savings. Results shows that the application of the proposed framework supports evaluating energy and water efficiency measures to implement it on the buildings to achieve Mostadam minimum energy and water requirements. Recommendations were made for future work to bridge the knowledge gap.
ContributorsMohamed, Sara Murad (Author) / Sullivan, Kenneth (Thesis advisor) / Chong, Oswald (Committee member) / Hurtado, Kristen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Hydrophobic ionizable organic compounds (HIOCs) like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), certain pharmaceuticals, and surfactants have been detected in groundwater, wastewater, and drinking water. Anion exchange resin treatment is an effective process for removal of anionic contaminants from water. Spent anion exchange resins are conventionally regenerated with high alcohol by volume (ABV) methanol in solution with brine. While effective for regeneration of resins saturated with inorganic anions such as sulfate, nitrate, and perchlorate, HIOCs prove more resistant to regeneration. This research investigated the efficacy of using novel cosolvent solutions with brine to regenerate resins saturated with organic carboxylate and sulfonate anions to understand the effects cosolvent properties have on regenerative ability. Experiments were conducted on six PFAS compounds to evaluate trends in regeneration for three alcohols. For all PFAS species, equivalent ABV and brine solutions showed greatest regeneration with 1-propanol over ethanol and methanol. Experiments with the pharmaceutical sodium diclofenac were conducted showing similar regeneration of 75% methanol and 25% 1-propanol for equivalent salt concentrations and higher regeneration with 1-propanol than ethanol and methanol for equivalent ABV. A series of experiments with surfactant dodecylbenzene sulfonate determined that the key parameters to determine regeneration of the resin for an alcohol cosolvent solution were cosolvent volume fraction, molar mass, Kow value, solution ionic strength, and dielectric constant. Individual assessments on the cost-effectiveness, flammability, and sustainability of cosolvent solutions point to possible future experiments and opportunities for recycled distillery waste streams as regenerative solutions for anion exchange resin.
ContributorsGraham, Cole David (Author) / Boyer, Treavor H (Thesis advisor) / Conroy-Ben, Otakuye (Committee member) / Garcia Segura, Sergio (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This study examines how critical pedagogical practices of testimonies and contradiction and resistance coupled with agentive techniques engaged youth in holistic identity development in a sustainable education context. Using a three-phase design, I analyzed the structure of the Urban Energy Engineering (UEE) citizen science program that engages youth in community-centered energy engineering. The design sought to answer the overarching question: How does critical pedagogy in which students build on their cultural and community knowledge to co-construct knowledge about sustainability while engaging in community-centered projects that promote agency impact their holistic identity development? Using a for intervention model, I used archived data for the summer iteration to develop two analyses to examine how the program engages youth in identity development, agency, and positionality in their community. These analyses influenced my design innovation and implementation with the UEE youth during the spring semester. Findings of my design innovation are organized into three sections (a) coupling of practice towards holistic identity, (b) understanding the relationship between identity and community, and lastly, (c) understanding the relationship between identity and sustainability correlating with my research questions. Lastly, I discuss the design principle necessary to engage youth in holistic identity development (a) Facilitators should provide their own experience and (b) Frame the levels of the individual to the community in agentive practice and critical pedagogical practices.
ContributorsHoward, Isis (Author) / Jordan, Michelle (Thesis advisor) / Adams-Wiggins, Karlyn (Committee member) / Weinberg, Andrea (Committee member) / Zuiker, Steven (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Food safety incidents have constantly hit society and threatened human health. Hundreds of millions of people become sick after eating contaminated food every year. As the problem continues to emerge, consumers must take action to avoid purchasing risky food products. As one of the solutions, food traceability systems have been developed rapidly in many countries in recent years. More food products can now be provided with traceability information to assist consumers in making purchase decisions. To design services for grocery shoppers to access food information from food traceability systems possibly through modern technologies, this transdisciplinary user research study investigated shopper insights into food traceability information on produce provided at grocery stores, with a fusion of ideas from the disciplines of design and consumer behaviors. Through literature reviews, an online survey study, and an online interview study, this research revealed a series of shopper insights concerning (1) shoppers’ knowledge about food traceability information, (2) shoppers’ behaviors and motivations for using traceability information on produce, (3) shoppers’ perceptions towards providing traceability information on produce to them at grocery stores, (4) shoppers’ perceived important traceability information on produce, (5) shoppers’ behavior intentions of using specific ways to access traceability information on produce, and (6) shoppers’ thresholds to pay for traceability information on produce. Based on the results, this study identified design opportunities for the features, components, and mediums of the service design of future food traceability systems.
ContributorsWang, Anne (Author) / Takamura, John (Thesis advisor) / Fehler, Michelle (Committee member) / Grebitus, Carola (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
With the demand growing for more sustainable forms of energy in replacement of fossil fuels, a major obstacle arises in the end-of life solar modules that are disposed of in landfills. Aside from the hazardous materials, silicon solar modules contain valuable and scarce materials such as silver. Silver is used in many industries and many applications therefore the recycling and recovering of it is financially beneficial. The purpose of this research was to achieve high purity and recovery of silver using hydrofluoric acid. The following work presents the feasibility of silver recovery through the process of leaching and electrowinning by examining the percent recovery and cathodic coulombic efficiency, followed by a chemical analysis to determine the purity. Varying conditions in leaching and electrowinning parameters are conducted in a synthetic solution to determine the effect on silver recovery and cathodic coulombic efficiency. It was determined that the silver recovery was dependent on the applied potential, system configuration and time. The system is capable of recovery rates of over 95% at -1 V. The system is further tested on solar cells to prove that silver can be recovered. There was over 99% purity from the experiments conducted in synthetic solution and from solar cells. Additionally, a circular chemistry is proposed that allows the reuse of hydrofluoric acid for leaching and electrowinning.
ContributorsChen, Theresa (Author) / Tao, Meng (Thesis advisor) / Deng, Shuguang (Committee member) / Goryll, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
For most of our history humans have been closely tied to energy provided by the sun. Phases of light and dark initiate major biological functions within each day and regulate patterns of sleep and heightened alertness. Daylight was historically synonymous with sophisticated architecture, providing a mysterious play of light and illuminating productive tasks. It is only within the last 150 years that humans have sought to improve upon daylight, largely replacing it with artificially fueled systems. A new scientific approach to providing interior light has focused on the visible spectrum, negating the remainder of energy from our lives. This thesis considers the full spectrum of natural daylight, and its potential for improving human health, and well being. The literature review explores a brief history of solar architecture leading into the 21st century. A case study of the award winning Arabian Library in Scottsdale Arizona reveals four methods of passive daylight integration. A phenomenological ethnographic methodology assessed the impact of these four strategies on interior lighting quality, documented from the designer's perspective. As the science of photobiology continues to advance, it has become clearly evident that natural daylight provides more than mere illumination, and should be considered an essential element of the interior built environment.
ContributorsMarotta, Nickolas A (Author) / Bernardi, Jose (Thesis advisor) / Rowen, Marthe (Committee member) / Bauer, Kelly (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013