Matching Items (11)
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- All Subjects: Sustainability
- Genre: Masters Thesis
- Creators: Phelan, Patrick
- Creators: Basile, George
Description
This study investigates how well prominent behavioral theories from social psychology explain green purchasing behavior (GPB). I assess three prominent theories in terms of their suitability for GPB research, their attractiveness to GPB empiricists, and the strength of their empirical evidence when applied to GPB. First, a qualitative assessment of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Norm Activation Theory (NAT), and Value-Belief-Norm Theory (VBN) is conducted to evaluate a) how well the phenomenon and concepts in each theory match the characteristics of pro-environmental behavior and b) how well the assumptions made in each theory match common assumptions made in purchasing theory. Second, a quantitative assessment of these three theories is conducted in which r2 values and methodological parameters (e.g., sample size) are collected from a sample of 21 empirical studies on GPB to evaluate the accuracy and generalize-ability of empirical evidence. In the qualitative assessment, the results show each theory has its advantages and disadvantages. The results also provide a theoretically-grounded roadmap for modifying each theory to be more suitable for GPB research. In the quantitative assessment, the TPB outperforms the other two theories in every aspect taken into consideration. It proves to 1) create the most accurate models 2) be supported by the most generalize-able empirical evidence and 3) be the most attractive theory to empiricists. Although the TPB establishes itself as the best foundational theory for an empiricist to start from, it's clear that a more comprehensive model is needed to achieve consistent results and improve our understanding of GPB. NAT and the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior (TIB) offer pathways to extend the TPB. The TIB seems particularly apt for this endeavor, while VBN does not appear to have much to offer. Overall, the TPB has already proven to hold a relatively high predictive value. But with the state of ecosystem services continuing to decline on a global scale, it's important for models of GPB to become more accurate and reliable. Better models have the capacity to help marketing professionals, product developers, and policy makers develop strategies for encouraging consumers to buy green products.
ContributorsRedd, Thomas Christopher (Author) / Dooley, Kevin (Thesis advisor) / Basile, George (Committee member) / Darnall, Nicole (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Currently, consumers throw away products every day, turning those materials into waste. Electronic waste poses special problems when it is not recycled because it may contain toxic components that can leach into landfill surroundings and reach groundwater sources or contaminate soil, and its plastic, metal, and electronic materials do not biodegrade and are lost rather than recycled. This study analyzes a system that attempts to solve the electronic post-consumer-waste problem by shifting the economic burden of disposal from local municipalities to producers, reducing its environmental impacts while promoting economic development. The system was created in British Columbia, Canada after the province enacted a recycling regulation based on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a policy strategy that is fast growing globally. The BC recycling regulation requires all e-toy corporations in BC to comply with a government-approved product-stewardship program to recover and dispose of e-toys after they have been discarded by consumers. In response to the regulation, e-toy corporations joined a Canadian non-profit entity that recycles regulated waste. I conducted a case study using in-depth interviews with the stakeholders to identify the outcomes of this program and its potential for replication in other industries. I derived lessons from which corporations can learn to implement stewardship programs based on EPR regulations. The e-toy program demonstrated that creating exclusive programs is neither efficient nor economically feasible. Corporations should expect low recycling rates in the first phases of the program implementation because EPR regulations are long-term strategies. In order to reach any conclusions about the demand of consumers for recycling programs, we need to measure the program's return rates during at least three years. I also derived lessons that apply to the expansion of EPR regulations to a broader scope of product categories. The optimal way to expand EPR policy is to do it by gradually adding new product categories to the regulation on a long-term schedule. By doing so, new categories can take advantage of existing stewardship programs and their infrastructure to recover and recycle the post-consumer products. EPR proved to be an effective option to make corporations start thinking about the end of life of their products.
ContributorsNemer Soto, Andrea (Author) / Dooley, Kevin (Thesis advisor) / Basile, George (Committee member) / White, Philip (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
An eco-industrial park (EIP) is an industrial ecosystem in which a group of co-located firms are involved in collective resource optimization with each other and with the local community through physical exchanges of energy, water, materials, byproducts and services - referenced in the industrial ecology literature as "industrial symbiosis". EIPs, when compared with standard industrial resource sharing networks, prove to be of greater public advantage as they offer improved environmental and economic benefits, and higher operational efficiencies both upstream and downstream in their supply chain.
Although there have been many attempts to adapt EIP methodology to existing industrial sharing networks, most of them have failed for various factors: geographic restrictions by governmental organizations on use of technology, cost of technology, the inability of industries to effectively communicate their upstream and downstream resource usage, and to diminishing natural resources such as water, land and non-renewable energy (NRE) sources for energy production.
This paper presents a feasibility study conducted to evaluate the comparative environmental, economic, and geographic impacts arising from the use of renewable energy (RE) and NRE to power EIPs. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which is used in a variety of sectors to evaluate the environmental merits and demerits of different kinds of products and processes, was employed for comparison between these two energy production methods based on factors such as greenhouse gas emission, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, human toxicity potential, fresh water usage and land usage. To complement the environmental LCA analysis, levelized cost of electricity was used to evaluate the economic impact. This model was analyzed for two different geographic locations; United States and Europe, for 12 different energy production technologies.
The outcome of this study points out the environmental, economic and geographic superiority of one energy source over the other, including the total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, which can then be related to the total number of carbon credits that can be earned or used to mitigate the overall carbon emission and move closer towards a net zero carbon footprint goal thus making the EIPs truly sustainable.
Although there have been many attempts to adapt EIP methodology to existing industrial sharing networks, most of them have failed for various factors: geographic restrictions by governmental organizations on use of technology, cost of technology, the inability of industries to effectively communicate their upstream and downstream resource usage, and to diminishing natural resources such as water, land and non-renewable energy (NRE) sources for energy production.
This paper presents a feasibility study conducted to evaluate the comparative environmental, economic, and geographic impacts arising from the use of renewable energy (RE) and NRE to power EIPs. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which is used in a variety of sectors to evaluate the environmental merits and demerits of different kinds of products and processes, was employed for comparison between these two energy production methods based on factors such as greenhouse gas emission, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, human toxicity potential, fresh water usage and land usage. To complement the environmental LCA analysis, levelized cost of electricity was used to evaluate the economic impact. This model was analyzed for two different geographic locations; United States and Europe, for 12 different energy production technologies.
The outcome of this study points out the environmental, economic and geographic superiority of one energy source over the other, including the total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, which can then be related to the total number of carbon credits that can be earned or used to mitigate the overall carbon emission and move closer towards a net zero carbon footprint goal thus making the EIPs truly sustainable.
ContributorsGupta, Vaibhav (Author) / Calhoun, Ronald J (Thesis advisor) / Dooley, Kevin (Committee member) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Restaurants have a cumulative impact on the environment, economy, and society. The majority of restaurants are small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). Review of sustainability and industry literature revealed that considering restaurants as businesses with sustainable development options is the most appropriate way to evaluate their sustainable practices or lack thereof. Sustainable development is the means by which a company progresses towards achieving an identified set of sustainability goals and harnesses competitive advantage. The purpose of this thesis is to identify barriers to implementing sustainable practices in restaurants, and explore ways that restaurateurs can incorporate sustainable business practices. Energy consumption, water use, waste production, and food throughput are the four sustainability indicators addressed in this thesis. Interviews were conducted with five Tempe, Arizona restaurants, two of which consider their operations to be sustainable, and three of which are traditional restaurants. Results show that for traditional restaurants, the primary barriers to implementing sustainable business practices are cost, lack of awareness, and space. For sustainability-marketed restaurants, the barriers included a lack of knowledge or legal concerns. The sustainability-marketed restaurants have energy-efficient equipment and locally source a majority of their food purchases. There is a marked difference between the two types of restaurants in perception of barriers to sustainable business practices. I created a matrix to identify whether each indicator metric was applicable and present at a particular restaurant, and the potential barriers to implementing sustainable practices in each of the four indicator areas. Restaurants can use the assessment matrix to compare their current practices with sustainable practices and find ways to implement new or enhance existing sustainable practices. Identifying the barriers from within restaurants increases our understanding of the reasons why sustainable practices are not automatically adopted by SMEs. The assessment matrix can help restaurants overcome barriers to achieving sustainability by highlighting how to incorporate sustainable business practices.
ContributorsFreeman, Emily McConnell (Author) / Eakin, Hallie (Thesis advisor) / Basile, George (Thesis advisor) / Williams, Eric D. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Among the various end-use sectors, the commercial sector is expected to have the second-largest increase in total primary energy consump¬tion from 2009 to 2035 (5.8 quadrillion Btu) with a growth rate of 1.1% per year, it is the fastest growing end-use sectors. In order to make major gains in reducing U.S. building energy use commercial sector buildings must be improved. Energy benchmarking of buildings gives the facility manager or the building owner a quick evaluation of energy use and the potential for energy savings. It is the process of comparing the energy performance of a building to standards and codes, to a set target performance or to a range of energy performance values of similar buildings in order to help assess opportunities for improvement. Commissioning of buildings is the process of ensuring that systems are designed, installed, functionally tested and capable of being operated and maintained according to the owner's operational needs. It is the first stage in the building upgrade process after it has been assessed using benchmarking tools. The staged approach accounts for the interactions among all the energy flows in a building and produces a systematic method for planning upgrades that increase energy savings. This research compares and analyzes selected benchmarking and retrocommissioning tools to validate their accuracy such that they could be used in the initial audit process of a building. The benchmarking study analyzes the Energy Use Intensities (EUIs) and Ratings assigned by Portfolio Manager and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Spreadsheets. The 90.1 Prototype models and Commercial Reference Building model for Large Office building type were used for this comparative analysis. A case-study building from the DOE - funded Energize Phoenix program was also benchmarked for its EUI and rating. The retrocommissioning study was conducted by modeling these prototype models and the case-study building in the Facility Energy Decision System (FEDS) tool to simulate their energy consumption and analyze the retrofits suggested by the tool. The results of the benchmarking study proved that a benchmarking tool could be used as a first step in the audit process, encouraging the building owner to conduct an energy audit and realize the energy savings potential. The retrocommissioning study established the validity of FEDS as an accurate tool to simulate a building for its energy performance using basic inputs and to accurately predict the energy savings achieved by the retrofits recommended on the basis of maximum LCC savings.
ContributorsAgnihotri, Shreya Prabodhkumar (Author) / Reddy, T Agami (Thesis advisor) / Bryan, Harvey (Committee member) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
I present a new framework for qualitative assessment of the current green purchasing practices of U.S. state governments. Increasing demand from citizens for green public purchasing has prompted state governments to adopt new, and improve existing, practices. Yet there has been little assessment of public green purchasing in academic research; what has been done has not provided the conceptual support necessary to assess green purchasing practices as a single component of the procurement process. My research aims to fill that gap by developing a conceptual framework with which to assess the status of green purchasing practices and by applying this framework to determine and describe the status of green purchasing in the five most populous U.S. states. The framework looks at state purchasing practices through the lenses of policy, policy implementation, and transparency.
ContributorsSharma, Lucky (Author) / Melnick, Rob (Thesis advisor) / Dooley, Kevin (Thesis advisor) / Basile, George (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Growing concerns over climate change and the lack of a federal climate policy have prompted many sub-national organizations to undertake greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation actions on their own. However, the interventions associated with these efforts are typically selected in a top-down and ad hoc manner, and have not created the desired GHG emissions reductions. Accordingly, new approaches are needed to identify, select, develop, and coordinate effective climate change mitigation interventions in local and regional contexts. This thesis develops a process to create a governance system for negotiating local and regional climate interventions. The process consists of four phases: 1) mapping the overall transition, 2) reconstructing the current intervention selection system, 3) assessing the system against principles identified in the literature, and 4) creating an improved system based on the assessment. This process gives users a detailed understanding of how the overall transition has progressed, how and why interventions are currently selected, what changes are needed to improve the selection system, and how to re-structure the system to create more desirable outcomes. The process results in an improved system that relies on participation, coordination, and accountability to proactively select evidence-based interventions that incorporate the interests of stakeholders and achieve system-level goals. The process was applied to climate change mitigation efforts underway in Sonoma County, California to explore the implications of real-world application, and demonstrate its utility for current climate change mitigation efforts. Note that results and analysis from interviews with Sonoma County climate actors are included as a supplementary file.
ContributorsCulotta, Daniel Scott (Author) / Wiek, Arnim (Thesis advisor) / Basile, George (Committee member) / Shrestha, Milan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Pavement surface temperature is calculated using a fundamental energy balance model developed previously. It can be studied using a one-dimensional mathematical model. The input to the model is changed, to study the effect of different properties of pavement on its diurnal surface temperatures. It is observed that the pavement surface temperature has a microclimatic effect on the air temperature above it. A major increase in local air temperature is caused by heating of solid surfaces in that locality. A case study was done and correlations have been established to calculate the air temperature above a paved surface. Validation with in-situ pavement surface and air temperatures were made. Experimental measurement for the city of Phoenix shows the difference between the ambient air temperature of the city and the microclimatic air temperature above the pavement is approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit. One mitigation strategy that has been explored is increasing the albedo of the paved surface. Although it will reduce the pavement surface temperature, leading to a reduction in air temperature close to the surface, the increased pavement albedo will also result in greater reflected solar radiation directed towards the building, thus increasing the building solar load. The first effect will imply a reduction in the building energy consumption, while the second effect will imply an increase in the building energy consumption. Simulation is done using the EnergyPlus tool, to find the microclimatic effect of pavement on the building energy performance. The results indicate the cooling energy savings of an office building for different types of pavements can be variable as much as 30%.
ContributorsSengupta, Shawli (Author) / Phelan, Patrick (Thesis advisor) / Kaloush, Kamil (Committee member) / Calhoun, Ronald (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
In recent years, 40% of the total world energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is because of buildings. Out of that 60% of building energy consumption is due to HVAC systems. Under current trends these values will increase in coming years. So, it is important to identify passive cooling or heating technologies to meet this need. The concept of thermal energy storage (TES), as noted by many authors, is a promising way to rectify indoor temperature fluctuations. Due to its high energy density and the use of latent energy, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are an efficient choice to use as TES. A question that has not satisfactorily been addressed, however, is the optimum location of PCM. In other words, given a constant PCM mass, where is the best location for it in a building? This thesis addresses this question by positioning PCM to obtain maximum energy savings and peak time delay. This study is divided into three parts. The first part is to understand the thermal behavior of building surfaces, using EnergyPlus software. For analysis, a commercial prototype building model for a small office in Phoenix, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, is applied and the weather location file for Phoenix, Arizona is also used. The second part is to justify the best location, which is obtained from EnergyPlus, using a transient grey box building model. For that we have developed a Resistance-Capacitance (RC) thermal network and studied the thermal profile of a building in Phoenix. The final part is to find the best location for PCMs in buildings using EnergyPlus software. In this part, the mass of PCM used in each location remains unchanged. This part also includes the impact of the PCM mass on the optimized location and how the peak shift varies. From the analysis, it is observed that the ceiling is the best location to install PCM for yielding the maximum reduction in HVAC energy consumption for a hot, arid climate like Phoenix.
ContributorsPrem Anand Jayaprabha, Jyothis Anand (Author) / Phelan, Patrick (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Robert (Committee member) / Parrish, Kristen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Demand for green energy alternatives to provide stable and reliable energy
solutions has increased over the years which has led to the rapid expansion of global
markets in renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Newest
amongst these technologies is the Bifacial PV modules, which harvests incident radiation
from both sides of the module. The overall power generation can be significantly increased
by using these bifacial modules. The purpose of this research is to investigate and maximize
the effect of back reflectors, designed to increase the efficiency of the module by utilizing
the intercell light passing through the module to increase the incident irradiance, on the
energy output using different profiles placed at varied distances from the plane of the array
(POA). The optimum reflector profile and displacement of the reflector from the module
are determined experimentally.
Theoretically, a 60-cell bifacial module can produce 26% additional energy in
comparison to a 48-cell bifacial module due to the 12 excess cells found in the 60-cell
module. It was determined that bifacial modules have the capacity to produce additional
energy when optimized back reflectors are utilized. The inverted U reflector produced
higher energy gain when placed at farther distances from the module, indicating direct
dependent proportionality between the placement distance of the reflector from the module
and the output energy gain. It performed the best out of all current construction geometries
with reflective coatings, generating more than half of the additional energy produced by a
densely-spaced 60-cell benchmark module compared to a sparsely-spaced 48-cell reference
module.ii
A gain of 11 and 14% was recorded on cloudy and sunny days respectively for the
inverted U reflector. This implies a reduction in the additional cells of the 60-cell module
by 50% can produce the same amount of energy of the 60-cell module by a 48-cell module
with an inverted U reflector. The use of the back reflectors does not only affect the
additional energy gain but structural and land costs. Row to row spacing for bifacial
systems(arrays) is reduced nearly by half as the ground height clearance is largely
minimized, thus almost 50% of height constraints for mounting bifacial modules, using
back reflectors resulting in reduced structural costs for mounting of bifacial modules
solutions has increased over the years which has led to the rapid expansion of global
markets in renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Newest
amongst these technologies is the Bifacial PV modules, which harvests incident radiation
from both sides of the module. The overall power generation can be significantly increased
by using these bifacial modules. The purpose of this research is to investigate and maximize
the effect of back reflectors, designed to increase the efficiency of the module by utilizing
the intercell light passing through the module to increase the incident irradiance, on the
energy output using different profiles placed at varied distances from the plane of the array
(POA). The optimum reflector profile and displacement of the reflector from the module
are determined experimentally.
Theoretically, a 60-cell bifacial module can produce 26% additional energy in
comparison to a 48-cell bifacial module due to the 12 excess cells found in the 60-cell
module. It was determined that bifacial modules have the capacity to produce additional
energy when optimized back reflectors are utilized. The inverted U reflector produced
higher energy gain when placed at farther distances from the module, indicating direct
dependent proportionality between the placement distance of the reflector from the module
and the output energy gain. It performed the best out of all current construction geometries
with reflective coatings, generating more than half of the additional energy produced by a
densely-spaced 60-cell benchmark module compared to a sparsely-spaced 48-cell reference
module.ii
A gain of 11 and 14% was recorded on cloudy and sunny days respectively for the
inverted U reflector. This implies a reduction in the additional cells of the 60-cell module
by 50% can produce the same amount of energy of the 60-cell module by a 48-cell module
with an inverted U reflector. The use of the back reflectors does not only affect the
additional energy gain but structural and land costs. Row to row spacing for bifacial
systems(arrays) is reduced nearly by half as the ground height clearance is largely
minimized, thus almost 50% of height constraints for mounting bifacial modules, using
back reflectors resulting in reduced structural costs for mounting of bifacial modules
ContributorsMARTIN, PEDRO JESSE (Author) / Tamizhmani, Govindasamy (Thesis advisor) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Wang, Liping (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019