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- All Subjects: Energy Efficiency
- Creators: Arababadi, Reza
Description
In the U.S., high-speed passenger rail has recently become an active political topic, with multiple corridors currently being considered through federal and state level initiatives. One frequently cited benefit of high-speed rail proposals is that they offer a transition to a more sustainable transportation system with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy consumption. This study investigates the feasibility of high-speed rail development as a long-term greenhouse gas emission mitigation strategy while considering major uncertainties in the technological and operational characteristics of intercity travel. First, I develop a general model for evaluating the emissions impact of intercity travel modes. This model incorporates aspects of life-cycle assessment and technological forecasting. The model is then used to compare future scenarios of energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the development of high-speed rail and other intercity travel technologies. Three specific rail corridors are evaluated and policy guidelines are developed regarding the emissions impacts of these investments. The results suggest prioritizing high-speed rail investments on short, dense corridors with fewer stops. Likewise, less emphasis should be placed on larger investments that require long construction times due to risks associated with payback of embedded emissions as competing technology improves.
ContributorsBurgess, Edward (Author) / Williams, Eric (Thesis advisor) / Fink, Jonathan (Thesis advisor) / Yaro, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Residential air conditioning systems represent a critical load for many electric
utilities, especially for those who serve customers in hot climates. In hot and dry
climates, in particular, the cooling load is usually relatively low during night hours and
early mornings and hits its maximum in the late afternoon. If electric loads could be
shifted from peak hours (e.g., late afternoon) to off-peak hours (e.g., late morning), not
only would building operation costs decrease, the need to run peaker plants, which
typically use more fossil fuels than non-peaker plants, would also decrease. Thus, shifting
electricity consumption from peak to off-peak hours promotes economic and
environmental savings. Operational and technological strategies can reduce the load
during peak hours by shifting cooling operation from on-peak hours to off-peak hours.
Although operational peak load shifting strategies such as precooling may require
mechanical cooling (e.g., in climates like Phoenix, Arizona), this cooling is less
expensive than on-peak cooling due to demand charges or time-based price plans.
Precooling is an operational shift, rather than a technological one, and is thus widely
accessible to utilities’ customer base. This dissertation compares the effects of different
precooling strategies in a Phoenix-based utility’s residential customer market and
assesses the impact of technological enhancements (e.g., energy efficiency measures and
solar photovoltaic system) on the performance of precooling. This dissertation focuses on
the operational and technological peak load shifting strategies that are feasible for
residential buildings and discusses the advantages of each in terms of peak energy
savings and residential electricity cost savings.
utilities, especially for those who serve customers in hot climates. In hot and dry
climates, in particular, the cooling load is usually relatively low during night hours and
early mornings and hits its maximum in the late afternoon. If electric loads could be
shifted from peak hours (e.g., late afternoon) to off-peak hours (e.g., late morning), not
only would building operation costs decrease, the need to run peaker plants, which
typically use more fossil fuels than non-peaker plants, would also decrease. Thus, shifting
electricity consumption from peak to off-peak hours promotes economic and
environmental savings. Operational and technological strategies can reduce the load
during peak hours by shifting cooling operation from on-peak hours to off-peak hours.
Although operational peak load shifting strategies such as precooling may require
mechanical cooling (e.g., in climates like Phoenix, Arizona), this cooling is less
expensive than on-peak cooling due to demand charges or time-based price plans.
Precooling is an operational shift, rather than a technological one, and is thus widely
accessible to utilities’ customer base. This dissertation compares the effects of different
precooling strategies in a Phoenix-based utility’s residential customer market and
assesses the impact of technological enhancements (e.g., energy efficiency measures and
solar photovoltaic system) on the performance of precooling. This dissertation focuses on
the operational and technological peak load shifting strategies that are feasible for
residential buildings and discusses the advantages of each in terms of peak energy
savings and residential electricity cost savings.
ContributorsArababadi, Reza (Author) / Parrish, Kristen (Thesis advisor) / Reddy, T A (Committee member) / Jackson, Roderick K (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016