Determinants of energy use in the informal food sector

Although enterprises in the informal food sector require energy to transform, cook and process food, energy-use patterns in this sector are not well understood by policymakers and the local-level authorities who regulate their trading activities. This paper reviews relevant literature and presents empirical data collected in Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa on the use of traditional and modern energy sources by informal food sector operators. Our sample includes male- and female-operated enterprises in the urban centres of three African countries where the informal food sector is important, not only for providing the convenience of affordable and readily prepared meals, but also as a source of income for women and men in developing countries. Multiple fuel-use and energy-stacking strategies are common among informal food enterprises and policy needs to acknowledge this if it is to intervene in ways that will benefit both enterprises and regulators.     

基于模态应变能密度理论的网架结构损伤识别方法

为了研究网架结构的损伤检测方法,根据应变能密度理论,提出采用单元模态应变能密度差值作为网架结构损伤识别指标的方法,以损伤单元模态应变能密度差值的大小初步确定单元的损伤程度。分析了5种具有代表性的损伤工况,并在数值计算结果中引入了白噪声。结果显示,在一阶模态下,针对单损伤、多损伤和轻微损伤、严重损伤等不同损伤工况,损伤杆件的模态应变能密度差值均为高值。因此,该方法可以有效识别出网架结构的损伤位置,根据损伤单元的模态应变能密度差值大小初步确定单元的损伤程度,且在一定的噪声水平下具有较强的鲁棒性,对网架结构损伤识别具有参考价值。     

Is China’s Manufacturing Industry Efficient? Evidence from an Energy-Rebound Effect Perspective

Majority of the increase in global energy consumption is from China; hence, studying energy issues, especially in China’s manufacturing industry (CMI), is worthwhile and of much interest in the academic field. Based on the translog cost function, we develop a research framework to study the rebound effect of CMI. Considering the effect of asymmetric energy price, we augment the energy-cost function with asymmetric influence constraint of energy price. Again, we add time series data of CMI’s capital, labor, energy, and mid-input to the model to calculate the direct rebound effect of CMI. We find that the rebound effect of CMI is 44.2%, and CMI still has large energy-conservation potentials. Based on the results of this study, some policy recommendations are provided.     

Can Industrial Restructuring Significantly Reduce Energy Consumption? Evidence from China

This article uses China’s input–output (I-O) tables in 2002, 2007, and 2012 to estimate the real energy consumption of each sector after the I-O adjustment. The relationship between the sectors is further analyzed using the utility analysis method based on ecological network analysis. The empirical results show that although the traditional energy-intensive industries are the major energy-consuming sectors from a direct energy consumption perspective, large energy consumption by energy-intensive industries is transferred to downstream industries through intermediate products after the I-O adjustment. Specifically, the building industry and service sector are the sectors with the highest real energy consumption. With the upgrading and optimization of the industrial structure, the proportion of energy-intensive sectors in China is declining. However, the development of the service sector and infrastructure construction still requires large intermediate inputs. Thus, industrial restructuring cannot significantly reduce China’s total energy consumption.     

Is digital technology the magic bullet for performing work at home? Lessons learned for post COVID-19 recovery in hospitality management

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly brought about a number of disruptions to when and where work is undertaken for hospitality employees. The rapid spread of COVID-19 forced many hospitality managers to use digital technologies to perform work from home, termed digital work connectivity. Yet little is known about how hospitality employees cope with it. The purpose of this study is to investigate an important yet underspecified issue as to how digital work connectivity can be detrimental for employees’ work behavior.Design/methodology/approachWe test our hypotheses using multi-wave and multi-source data collected from 467 middle managerial-level hospitality employees in China.FindingsThe findings show that digital work connectivity can lead to self-control depletion, which in turn is associated with disengagement from work. Further, the findings show that relational energy is an important resource that can buffer the detrimental effects of digital work connectivity on hospitality employees.Practical implicationsThe association of digital work connectivity with employee withdrawal behavior highlights the urgent need for hospitality enterprises to have clear guidelines that regulate technology use at home for work purposes.Social implicationsOur research shows that the absence of clear guidelines in relation to the use of digital technology for work at home risks producing unintended consequences for both hospitality employees and their enterprises.Originality/valueOur research draws from recent advances in resource allocation theories of self-control and adopts a more nuanced approach to uncover a counterintuitive reality that while people use digital technology to remain connected with work, doing so can actually contribute to their withdrawal behavior.     

燃煤锅炉改造问题及节能环保改造措施

在现代社会的发展中,燃煤锅炉是工业发展中常用的供暖设备、供热设备,尤其在北方地区得到了十分广泛的应用。但是,在使用燃煤锅炉过程中,一定区域内会产生很多燃煤灰尘、SO2气体,现已成为很多地区的大气污染源之一。为了有效控制燃煤锅炉污染物排放量,相关部门需要实行烟气除尘、脱硫方式,做好燃煤锅炉节能改造工作,减少大气污染物的排放量。论文重点分析了燃煤锅炉改造问题及节能环保改造措施。     

Renewable energy and local development: Seven lessons from the mining industry

Having long depended on fossil fuels for energy generation, South Africa is now investing in renewable energy. Like its mining operations, its renewable energy plants will have local implications. Renewable energy companies are therefore required by government to engage with communities to contribute to socio-economic development. We present seven lessons we believe the renewable energy sector can learn from the mining industry. We argue that the new industry must: manage social disruption, understand community complexities, create responsive institutions and the capacity to support industry practice, employ trained community practitioners, be clear about the aims of local development, encourage economic diversification in remote areas and, importantly, in view of problems caused by downscaling in the mining industry, plan for the possible closure of projects. Renewable energy projects could then serve and shape local development.     

基于政策情景的家庭乘用车能源回弹效应研究 ——来自长株潭城市群的调查数据

基于长株潭城市群的调查数据,测算在燃料消耗量为5.0L/100km情景下家庭乘用车的直接能源回弹效应,并采用二分类Logistic法分析影响家庭乘用车直接能源回弹效应的因素.结果表明:长株潭城市群家庭乘用车平均直接能源回弹效应为20%;不同居民家庭乘用车的直接能源回弹效应差别较大,存在超级节能、零回弹、部分回弹和回火效应;户主受教育水平、收入水平、购买新车意愿、车辆行驶里程、出行偏好等因素对家庭乘用车超级节能和零回弹效应影响显著.     

中国城市居民收入和储蓄增长对家庭能耗碳排放的区域异质性及政策应对

估计和预测城市居民收入变化对家庭能源消费碳排放的影响,对城市家庭消费部门构建低碳能源供应体系,应对气候变化具有重要意义。论文首先估计了中国284个地级以上城市的家庭三类能源消费的直接碳排放量,建立了面板固定效应模型来识别城市家庭能耗碳排放增长和变化的驱动因素。研究结果表明:城市居民收入的快速增长与储蓄水平的提高对于家庭碳排放有显著影响;城市家庭收入和储蓄的增加会抑制家庭燃气碳排放的产生,但对于城市家庭用电碳排放和城市家庭采暖碳排放,则表现出显著的推动作用。此外,研究还发现了家庭碳排放的影响因素存在显著的区域异质性。     

产业协同集聚影响全要素能源效率的“U”型关系再检验——基于集聚质量和深度的双重视角

利用2003—2019年省际面板数据,从集聚质量和深度的视角探究了产业协同集聚对地区全要素能源效率的影响,研究发现:产业协同集聚与地区全要素能源效率呈显著的"U"型关系;但相对于集聚深度而言,集聚质量的提高能够显著推动全要素能源效率较早越过拐点从而进入上升阶段。机制检验表明,当集聚质量和集聚深度均较低时,产业集聚会通过规模效应显著抑制全要素能源效率提升;而当集聚质量和深度均较高时,产业集聚则通过技术效应显著促进全要素能源效率提升。此外,对于不同地区而言,东部地区全要素能源效率能够率先摆脱产业协同集聚的抑制作用而进入上升阶段,中西部地区则需要在更高的集聚水平上实现全要素能源效率的攀升。