eQUEST Based Building Energy Modeling Analysis for Energy Efficiency of Buildings

Building energy performance is a function of numerous building parameters.In this study,sensitivity analysis on twenty parameters is performed to determine the top three parameters that have the most significant impact on the energy performance of buildings.Actual data from two fully operational commercial buildings were collected and used to develop a building energy model in the Quick Energy Simulation Tool(eQUEST).The model is calibrated using the Normalized Mean Bias Error(NMBE)and Coefficient of Variation of Root Mean Square Error(CV(RMSE))method.The model satisfies the NMBE and CV(RMSE)criteria set by the American Society of Heating,Refrigeration,and Air-Conditioning(ASHRAE)Guideline 14,Federal Energy Management Program(FEMP),and International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol(IPMVP)for building energy model calibration.The values of the parameters are varied in two levels,and then the percentage change in output is calculated.Fractional factorial analysis on eight parameters with the highest percentage change in energy performance is performed at two levels in a statistical software JMP.For building A,the top 3 parameters from the percentage change method are:Heating setpoint,cooling setpoint and server room.From fractional factorial design,the top 3 parameters are:heating setpoint(p-value=0.00129),cooling setpoint(p-value=0.00133),and setback control(p-value=0.00317).For building B,the top 3 parameters from both methods are:Server room(pvalue=0.0000),heating setpoint(p-value=0.00014),and cooling setpoint(p-value=0.00035).If the best values for all top three parameters are taken simultaneously,energy efficiency improves by 29%for building A and 35%for building B.

Enhancing wood efficiency through comprehensive wood flow analysis:Methodology and strategic insights

Wood,an essential natural resource in human civilization,remains widely used despite advances in technology and material substitution.The surge in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental concerns accentuates the need for optimizing wood utilization.Material flow analysis is a powerful tool for tracking material flows and stocks,aiding resource management and environmental decision-making.However,the full extent of its methodological dimensions,particularly within the context of the wood supply chain,remains relatively unexplored.In this study,we delve into the existing literature on wood flow analysis,discussing its primary objectives,materials involved,temporal and spatial scales,data sources,units,and conversion factors.Additionally,data uncertainty,data reconciliation and crucial assumptions in material flow analysis are highlighted in this paper.Key findings reveal the significance of wood cascading and substitution effects by replacing non-wood materials,where they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than the natural carbon sink of forests and wood products.The immediate impact of short-term wood cascading might not be as robust as the substitution effect,with energy substitution showcasing better results than material substitution.However,it's crucial to note that these conclusions could experience significant reversal from a long-term and global perspective.Strategies for improving wood efficiency involve maximizing material use,advancing construction technologies,extending product lifespans,promoting cascade use,and optimizing energy recovery processes.The study underscores the need for standardized approaches in wood flow analysis and emphasizes the potential of wood efficiency strategies in addressing environmental challenges.

Evaluation of Energy Efficiency and Analysis of Influencing Factors of Company CW’s Manufacturing Workshops

In this work,the Slacks-Based Measure(SBM)model within Data Envelopment Analysis was employed to establish a set of indicators for evaluating the energy efficiency of manufacturing workshops.The energy efficiency of 12 Company CW’s manufacturing workshops from 2016 to 2022 was assessed.The findings indicated that aside from a few workshops operating at the production frontier,the rest exhibit significant fluctuations in energy efficiency and generally low energy efficiency.Subsequently,a combined GRA-Tobit analysis model was introduced to identify factors influencing the energy efficiency of Company CW’s manufacturing workshops.Regression analysis revealed that technological investments,employee quality,workshop production scale,investment in clean energy,and the level of pollution control all significantly impact the energy efficiency of Company CW’s manufacturing workshops.By evaluating the energy efficiency of Company CW’s manufacturing workshops and studying their influencing factors,this research aids company managers in understanding the energy efficiency of the manufacturing process.It optimizes the combination of various production elements,thereby offering effective guidance for improving the energy efficiency issues of the company’s manufacturing workshops,which can contribute to enhancing the corporation’s overall energy efficiency.

Research status and prospects of the fractal analysis of metal material surfaces and interfaces

As a mathematical analysis method,fractal analysis can be used to quantitatively describe irregular shapes with self-similar or self-affine properties.Fractal analysis has been used to characterize the shapes of metal materials at various scales and dimensions.Conventional methods make it difficult to quantitatively describe the relationship between the regular characteristics and properties of metal material surfaces and interfaces.However,fractal analysis can be used to quantitatively describe the shape characteristics of metal materials and to establish the quantitative relationships between the shape characteristics and various properties of metal materials.From the perspective of two-dimensional planes and three-dimensional curved surfaces,this paper reviews the current research status of the fractal analysis of metal precipitate interfaces,metal grain boundary interfaces,metal-deposited film surfaces,metal fracture surfaces,metal machined surfaces,and metal wear surfaces.The relationship between the fractal dimensions and properties of metal material surfaces and interfaces is summarized.Starting from three perspectives of fractal analysis,namely,research scope,image acquisition methods,and calculation methods,this paper identifies the direction of research on fractal analysis of metal material surfaces and interfaces that need to be developed.It is believed that revealing the deep influence mechanism between the fractal dimensions and properties of metal material surfaces and interfaces will be the key research direction of the fractal analysis of metal materials in the future.

Comparative assessment of the frying efficiency of standard and low linolenic rapeseed oils: Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

In this research,the performance of regular rapeseed oil(RSO)and modified low-linolenic rapeseed oil(LLRO)during frying was assessed using a frying procedure that commonly found in fast-food restaurants.Key physicochemical attributes of these oils were investigated.RSO and LLRO differed for initial linolenic acid(12.21%vs.2.59%),linoleic acid(19.15%vs.24.73%).After 6 successive days frying period of French fries,the ratio of linoleic acid to palmitic acid dropped by 54.49%in RSO,higher than that in LLRO(51.54%).The increment in total oxidation value for LLRO(40.46 unit)was observed to be significantly lower than those of RSO(42.58 unit).The changes in carbonyl group value and iodine value throughout the frying trial were also lower in LLRO compared to RSO.The formation rate in total polar compounds for LLRO was 1.08%per frying day,lower than that of RSO(1.31%).In addition,the formation in color component and degradation in tocopherols were proportional to the frying time for two frying oils.Besides,a longer induction period was also observed in LLRO(8.87 h)compared to RSO(7.68 h)after frying period.Overall,LLRO exhibited the better frying stability,which was confirmed by principal component analysis(PCA).

Multilevel analysis of the central-peripheral-target organ pathway:contributing to recovery after peripheral nerve injury

Peripheral nerve injury is a common neurological condition that often leads to severe functional limitations and disabilities.Research on the pathogenesis of peripheral nerve injury has focused on pathological changes at individual injury sites,neglecting multilevel pathological analysis of the overall nervous system and target organs.This has led to restrictions on current therapeutic approaches.In this paper,we first summarize the potential mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury from a holistic perspective,covering the central nervous system,peripheral nervous system,and target organs.After peripheral nerve injury,the cortical plasticity of the brain is altered due to damage to and regeneration of peripheral nerves;changes such as neuronal apoptosis and axonal demyelination occur in the spinal cord.The nerve will undergo axonal regeneration,activation of Schwann cells,inflammatory response,and vascular system regeneration at the injury site.Corresponding damage to target organs can occur,including skeletal muscle atrophy and sensory receptor disruption.We then provide a brief review of the research advances in therapeutic approaches to peripheral nerve injury.The main current treatments are conducted passively and include physical factor rehabilitation,pharmacological treatments,cell-based therapies,and physical exercise.However,most treatments only partially address the problem and cannot complete the systematic recovery of the entire central nervous system-peripheral nervous system-target organ pathway.Therefore,we should further explore multilevel treatment options that produce effective,long-lasting results,perhaps requiring a combination of passive(traditional)and active(novel)treatment methods to stimulate rehabilitation at the central-peripheral-target organ levels to achieve better functional recovery.

Analysis of Emergy Structure,Function and Efficiency of Agro-ecosystem in Hunan Province

[Objective] The aim was to explore function and efficiency of emergy input/ output of Hunan agricultural ecosystem to reveal relationship of human being with natural resources and environment. [Method] Emergy structure, function and efficien- cy of Hunan agricultural ecosystem were analyzed based on input/output data in Hunan Province in 2009 as per emergy theory. [Result] The structure characters of agricultural ecosystem were as follows： Hunan is characterized with traditional agri- culture, depending greatly on both human and animal labor. For industrial accessory emergy, chemical fertilizers make most contribution to the system, and agricultural mechanization is not satisfied. Furthermore, renewable ratio of industrial accessory emergy is lower, and development and potential of green energy is promising. In addition, prices of the products are lower, without consideration of contribution made by natural resources and environment. It also suggested that Hunan agricultural chain is short and added value of products is not high. In general, emergy output of farming and animal husbandry dominates and the prices are lower than those of forestry and fishery. The function of the system was as follows： With lower environ- mental load ratio, the system is overloaded by population and the index of sustain- able development was 5.96, suggesting that the system enjoys vitality and potential, but the economy is undeveloped and the pressure from natural resources and envi- ronment is not high. The emergy output ratio was a little lower than national level in 2009, suggesting Hunan agricultural production is extensive. [Conclusion] The re- search indicated that rapid increase of population should be controlled; surplus labor should be transferred; agricultural structure and products structure should be further adjusted; agricultural technology should be further developed; agdcultural mechaniza- tion and modernization should be improved.

Analysis on Absorption,Utilization and Transfer Efficiency of Nitrogen in High-yield Wheat Cultivars at Different Sowing Dates

This study aimed to analyze the absorption, utilization and transfer char- acteristics of nitrogen in high-yield winter wheat （Triticum aestivum） cultivars at dif- ferent sowing dates, so as to determine the optimum sowing dates for different high-yield wheat cultivars. A field experiment was conducted in the Shajiang black soil of Anhui Province with Jimai 22, Wanrnai 52 and Zhoumai 22, and the effects of early sowing （October 3）, optimum sowing （October 12） and late sowing （October 30） on wheat plant N content and accumulation, pre-and post-anthesis N accumula- tion （NA） of total plant, nitrogen remobUization to grain （NR）, N remobilization effi- ciency （NRE）, contribution of N remobilized to grain （NRC）, grain yield, N use effi- ciency （NUE） and N harvest index （NHI） of different wheat cultivar were investigat- ed. The results showed that sowing date had an impact on N content, absorption and utilization in wheat plants at various growth stages. The NA, NR and NRC of aboveground vegetative organs of wheat before anthesis were higher than those af- ter anthesis. Under the condition of late sowing, the grain N accumulation mainly depended on the N absorption by vegetative organs before anthesis. Under the conditions of optimum and early sowing, the absorbed N after anthesis accounted for a large proportion in grain N accumulation. The N uptake intensity and relative cumulative rate differed greatly among different growth stages and different-genotype wheat cultivars, and the pre-anthesis NA, pre-anthesis NR, pre-anthesis NRE, post- anthesis N assimilation amount and post-anthesis NRC showed significant differ- ences among different wheat cultivars. The grain yields of different wheat cultivars under the early and optimum sowing were all higher than those under the late sowing. The NHI and grain N accumulation were highest under the optimum sow- ing, and the latter significantly decreased with the delay of sowing dates. In con- trast, the NUE was highest under the late sowing, reaching 35.95%-41.32%. It indi- cated that under the condition of late sowing, most of the nitrogen was not ab- sorbed by wheat, but the use efficiency of the absorbed nitrogen significantly in- creased. In overall, the three high-yield wheat cultivars were all suitable for early and optimum sowing. Under the condition of late sowing, the yield of Zhoumai 22 showed the smallest differences with those under early and optimum sowing, and its NUE was significantly improved. Therefore, among the three high-yield wheat culti- vars, Zhoumai 22 was most suitable for late sowing.

Heterosis Analysis of Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Grain Production of Brassica napus L.

[Objective]The aim was to study heterosis of N use efficiency for grain production （NUEg） of Brassica napus L. and provide theoretical basis for breeding N-efficient cultivars. [Method]Dry matter production and N content of six B.napus parents （Zheshuang 3,Yangyou 7,ZJ1,Shilijia,Ningyou 14 and Huyou 16） and their F1 combinations from 6 × 6 complete diallel cross in maturity stage under two N levels were measured; heterosis of NUEg,combining ability and heritability size were analyzed and calculated. [Result]The results showed that NUEg has obvious heterosis; combining ability variance analysis indicated that NUEg was mainly controlled by additive,dominant and cytoplasmic effects; genetic variance analysis showed that additive effects and dominance effects were all significant in low nitrogen fertilizer and dominance effects were significant in high nitrogen fertilizer. [Conclusion]NUEg of B.napus has obvious heterosis.

Network efficiency analysis of Chinese inter-bank market

The inter-bank market network models are constructed based on the inter-bank credit lending relationships, and the network efficiency characters of the Chinese inter-bank market are studied. Since it is impossible to obtain the specific credit data among banks, this paper estimates the inter-bank lending matrix based on the partial information of banks. Thus, directed network models of the Chinese inter-bank market are constructed by using the threshold method. The network efficiency measures and the effects of random attacks and selective attacks on the global efficiency of the inter-bank network are analyzed based on the network models of the inter-bank market. Empirical results suggest that the efficiency measures are sensitive to the threshold, and that the global efficiency is little affected by random attacks, while it is highly sensitive to selective attacks. Properties such as inter-bank market network efficiency would be useful for risk management and stability of the inter-bank market.

Analysis of Phosphorus Nutrition Efficiency of Soybean Genotypes with Different Phosphorus Efficiency at Blooming Stage under Low Phosphorus Stress

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the phosphorus nutrition effi- ciency of different soybean genotypes at blooming stage under low phosphorus stress. [Method] By using four ＂low phosphorus efficiency＂ soybean genotypes （D03, D05, D17 and D18） and four ＂high phosphorus efficiency＂ soybean genotypes （D31, D34, D37 and D38） as experimental materials, soil culture experiment was conduct- ed with two treatments of high phosphorus （＋P） and low phosphorus （-P）, to analyze the relationship between phosphorus content, phosphorus uptake, phosphorus use efficiency and phosphorus efficiency of soybean genotypes with different phos- phorus efficiency. [Result] Under low phosphorus conditions, four soybean genotypes with high phosphorus efficiency showed significant advantage in phosphorus uptake at seedling stage, to be specific, D34 showed relatively high phosphorus absorption capacity but no advantage in adaptability of phosphorus use efficiency, while only D37 showed relatively high phosphorus absorption capacity and phosphorus use ca- pacity. Correlation analysis and path analysis showed that the level of phosphorus efficiency of soybean at blooming stage under （-P） and （＋P） treatments was mainly determined by phosphorus absorption capacity, and that under （-P） treatment was significantly greater than （＋P） treatment. Phosphorus uptake and phosphorus use ef- ficiency under （-P） and （＋P） treatments both showed great direct effects on phos- phorus efficiency, and phosphorus uptake made greater contribution; however, the indirect effects were relatively low, Under low phosphorus stress, the mechanisms for various soybean genotypes with high phosphorus efficiency to adapt to low phospho- rus stress were different, and phosphorus absorption efficiency （phosphorus uptake） was the main variation source of the phosphorus efficiency of various soybean genotypes at blooming stage. [Conclusion] This study revealed the contribution made by phosphorus absorption efficiency and phosphorus use efficiency to phosphorus efficiency of soybean.

Analysis of High Yield and Efficiency Technique in Hybrid Rice Zhongzheyou No.1

To understand the high yield and efficiency technique in hybrid rice Zhongzheyou No. 1, we conducted the correlation analysis, regression analysis and path analysis of hybrid rice Zhongzheyou No. 1 based on the data of its ear, grain and weight at different yield levels. From this study, we put forward the high yield and efficiency technique in Zhongzheyou No. 1 .. on the basis of certain effective ear number, filled grains per ear should be mainly targeted with a consideration to 1 000-grain weight.

Technical Efficiency Analysis of Electric Power Industry with Stochastic Frontier Model

A kind of algorithm was provided to resolve the calculating problem of stochastic frontier model and applied to electric power industry.By Matlab,maximum likelihood estimation is adopted to evaluate σ and λ of stochastic frontier model in this paper, then the technical efficiency of electric power companies is calculated. The calculated and analyzed results reflect the situation of the management of electric power industry on the whole,that is ,the electric power companies with high technical efficiency are those which have developed their modern enterprise system successfully.

Frame Work of Data Envelopment Analysis—A Model to Evaluate the Environmental Efficiency of China'S Industrial Sectors

Objective To evaluate the environmental and technical efficiencies of China＇s industrial sectors and provide appropriate advice for policy makers in the context of rapid economic growth and concurrent serious environmental damages caused by industrial pollutants. Methods A data of envelopment analysis （DEA） framework crediting both reduction of pollution outputs and expansion of good outputs was designed as a model to compute environmental efficiency of China＇s regional industrial systems. Results As shown by the geometric mean of environmental efficiency, if other inputs were made constant and good outputs were not to be improved, the air pollution outputs would have the potential to be decreased by about 60% in the whole China. Conclusion Both environmental and technical efficiencies have the potential to be greatly improved in China, which may provide some advice for policy-makers.

Analysis on Technical Efficiency of Rice Farms and Its Influencing Factors in South-western of Niger

The present study focused on analyzing the technical efficiency office farms in southwest of Niger. The data from January to March 2015 survey of 148 ms in three districts of south-western of Niger were analyzed by using DEA-Tobit two-step method. In the f＇ust step, data envelopment analysis （DEA） was applied to estimate technical, pure technical and scale efficiency. In the second step, Tobit regression was used to identify factors affecting technical efficiency. The results showed that rice producers in southwest of Niger could reduce their inputs by 52% and still produce the same level of rice output. The Tobit regression showed that factors, such as farm size, experience in rice farming, membership of cooperative, main occupation and land ownership had a direct impact on technical efficiency.

Statistical Analysis of Leaf Water Use Efficiency and Physiology Traits of Winter Wheat Under Drought Condition

Five statistical methods including simple correlation, multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, principal components, and path analysis were used to explore the relationship between leaf water use efficiency （WUE） and physiological traits （photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, etc.） of 29 wheat cultivars. The results showed that photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were the most important leaf WUE parameters under drought condition. Based on the results of statistical analyses, principal component analysis could be the most suitable method to ascertain the relationship between leaf WUE and relative physiological traits. It is reasonable to assume that high leaf WUE wheat could be obtained by selecting breeding materials with high photosynthesis rate, low transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance under dry area.

Bootstrapping Data Envelopment Analysis of Efficiency and Productivity of County Public Hospitals in Eastern, Central, and Western China after the Public Hospital Reform

China implemented the public hospital reform in 2012. This study utilized bootstrapping data envelopment analysis（DEA） to evaluate the technical efficiency（TE） and productivity of county public hospitals in Eastern, Central, and Western China after the 2012 public hospital reform. Data from 127 county public hospitals（39, 45, and 43 in Eastern, Central, and Western China, respectively） were collected during 2012–2015. Changes of TE and productivity over time were estimated by bootstrapping DEA and bootstrapping Malmquist. The disparities in TE and productivity among public hospitals in the three regions of China were compared by Kruskal–Wallis H test and Mann–Whitney U test. The average bias-corrected TE values for the four-year period were 0.6442, 0.5785, 0.6099, and 0.6094 in Eastern, Central, and Western China, and the entire country respectively, with average non-technical efficiency, low pure technical efficiency（PTE）, and high scale efficiency found. Productivity increased by 8.12%, 0.25%, 12.11%, and 11.58% in China and its three regions during 2012–2015, and such increase in productivity resulted from progressive technological changes by 16.42%, 6.32%, 21.08%, and 21.42%, respectively. The TE and PTE of the county hospitals significantly differed among the three regions of China. Eastern and Western China showed significantly higher TE and PTE than Central China. More than 60% of county public hospitals in China and its three areas operated at decreasing return scales. There was a considerable space for TE improvement in county hospitals in China and its three regions. During 2012–2015, the hospitals experienced progressive productivity; however, the PTE changed adversely. Moreover, Central China continuously achieved a significantly lower efficiency score than Eastern and Western China. Decision makers and administrators in China should identify the causes of the observed inefficiencies and take appropriate measures to increase the efficiency of county public hospitals in the three areas of China, especially in Central China.

Energy Efficiency Evaluation Based on Data Envelopment Analysis Integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process in Ethylene Production

Energy efficiency data from ethylene production equipment are of high dimension, dynamic and time sequential, so their evaluation is affected by many factors. Abnormal data from ethylene production are eliminated through consistency test, making the data consumption uniform to improve the comparability of data. Due to the limit of input and output data of decision making unit in data envelopment analysis(DEA), the energy efficiency data from the same technology in a certain year are disposed monthly using DEA. The DEA data of energy efficiency from the same technology are weighted and fused using analytic hierarchy process. The energy efficiency data from different technologies are evaluated by their relative effectiveness to find the direction of energy saving and consumption reduction.

Efficiency assessment of coal mine safety input by data envelopment analysis

In recent years improper allocation of safety input has prevailed in coal mines in China, which resulted in the frequent accidents in coal mining operation. A comprehensive assessment of the input efficiency of coal mine safety should lead to improved efficiency in the use of funds and management resources. This helps government and enterprise managers better understand how safety inputs are used and to optimize allocation of resources. Study on coal mine＇s efficiency assessment of safety input was con- ducted in this paper. A C^2R model with non-Archimedean infinitesimal vector based on output is established after consideration of the input characteristics and the model properties. An assessment of an operating mine was done using a specific set of input and output criteria. It is found that the safety input was efficient in 2002 and 2005 and was weakly efficient in 2003. However, the efficiency was relatively low in both 2001 and 2004. The safety input resources can be optimized and adjusted by means of projection theory. Such analysis shows that, on average in 2001 and 2004, 45% of the expended funds could have been saved. Likewise, 10% of the safety management and technical staff could have been eliminated and working hours devoted to safety could have been reduced by 12%. These conditions could have Riven the same results.

Environmental Efficiency Analysis of China’s Vegetable Production

To analyze and estimate the environmental efficiency of China’s vegetable production. Methods The stochastic translog frontier model was used to estimate the technical efficiency of vegetable production. Based on the estimated frontier and technical inefficiency levels, we used the method developed by Reinhard, et al.[1] to estimate the environmental efficiency. Pesticide and chemical fertilizer inputs were treated as environmentally detrimental inputs. Results From estimated results, the mean environmental efficiency for pesticide input was 69.7%, indicating a great potential for reducing pesticide use in China’s vegetable production. In addition, substitution and output elasticities for vegetable farms were estimated to provide farmers with helpful information on how to reallocate input resources and improve efficiency. Conclusion There exists a great potential for reducing pesticide use in China’s vegetable production.