The most sustainable source of energy with unlimited reserves is the solar energy, which is the main source of all types of energy on earth. Accurate knowledge of solar radiation is considered to be the first step in solar energy availability assessment. It is also the primary input for various solar energy applications. The unavailability of the solar radiation measurements for several sites around the world leads to proposing different models for predicting the global solar radiation. Artificial neural network technique is considered to be an effective tool for modelling nonlinear systems and requires fewer input parameters. This work aims to investigate the performance of artificial neural network-based models in estimating global solar radiation. To achieve this goal, measured data set of global solar radiation for the case study location (Lat. 30° 51 ` N and long. 29° 34 ` E) are utilized for model establishment and validation. Mostly, common statistical indicators are employed for evaluating the performance of these models and recognizing the best model. The obtained results show that the artificial neural network models demonstrate promising performance in the prediction of global solar radiation. In addition, the proposed models provide superior consistency between the measured and estimated values.

Reaching thermal comfort levels in hot-arid climates is becoming more difficult nowadays without the use of high energy consuming mechanical systems. Therefore, the need to use effective passive energy design techniques such as earth-sheltered buildings is becoming greater. This paper combines researches that uses monitoring and simulations in order to evaluate basements’ thermal performance that reached thermal comfort levels without active air-conditioning systems, despite the harsh climate conditions. The case study was conducted in Al-Minya city, Egypt, which is known for its high diurnal range. The study calibrated a non-conditioned basement simulation model versus the monitored data to simulate its thermal performance. The greatest challenge was to calculate the ground temperature. To do this successfully, we used an iterative approach between packages of the basement preprocessor and Energy Plus / Design Builder until reaching a convergence. The iterative method results showed significant agreement between the measured and modeled data; with a correlation of 98 percent and errors with mean bias error and normalized root mean square error of -1.0 and 7.6 percent; respectively. On the other hand, the Energy Plus method, integrating the Xing approach, showed significantly divergent results between the simulated models versus the measured data. The calibrated model analysis evaluation, using the Fanger’s thermal comfort model, showed satisfactory results within the thermal comfort sensation range. The research results significance indicates that the precise customized detailed iterative method is essential to create the needed inputs which subsequently lead to near-to-actual outputs compared with other ground-contact simulation methods. In fact, the precise customized detailed iterative method approach may be used as a benchmark for simulators for easy and precise ground temperatures’ calculations and earth-sheltered buildings’ simulations.

Many cities in the developing world aspire to imitate cities of the West in their built form, since for them this represents ‘modernism’ and the future. Pakistan is a young country and the contribution of a new generation of architects and planners has been inspired by the West, in the post-modern traditions; and not informed by the local cultural, social, and physical aspects of the society. Karachi, within Pakistan, has recently seen the construction of a number of buildings and urban design projects that conform to the international concepts of entrepreneurship and innovation and are a response to the desire of politicians to create a global image for the city. Using the Urdu word maqamiat in relation to the built form, this research assesses what it means for a city to be local in the context of Karachi, being specific, having particular variables impacting the built form, but dealing with similar issues of identity crises as other formally colonized nations. A combination of deductive and inductive research approach that arches over mixed methods is used in order to reveal the nature and value of maqamiat in the built form. Semi structured interviews, focus groups, urban morphological documentation, archive review, and personal observation methods have been used for data collecting. Content, narrative, and focus group analyses are used to interpret data. This research is part of a PhD that was undertaken at Oxford Brookes University from 2012- 2016. The research postulates lessons from its study of local processes of built form production about the value given to local places by indigenous communities and the impact of global forces through image ability, aesthetics, and style.

Over the last four decades, the urban formation of Alexandria Citys two entrance regions has changed from natural agricultural farmlands to informal urbanized areas that have different uses. The urban regeneration is an approach for restructuring the urban informal areas by providing radical changes which depends on the origins of the social and economic formation of the informal areas. This process is based on the contemporary urban design principles that helps in analyzing the formation of urbanization based growth and stating the required principles for a rehabilitation process, since the traditional methods by demolishing and replacing mostly failed to cope with the continuously rising social and economic changes in the areas. This approach considers the distorted growth by urbanization or urban sprawl as a required social and economic guidance in regenerating informal areas. The paper attempts to analyze the potentials behind the urban distortion by the ongoing urbanization process in the region. It was found that the social formation and economic creations in the areas are the basis for creating an optimal urban pattern. It aims to assist with the emergence of academic disciplines that effectively regenerated a comprehensive framework to continuously manage the urban growth for generations to come.

Soot emission in bio-gas diesel dual fuel engine has been analyzed by numerical simulation with 2-stape soot formation model of Magnussen. The result shows that soot formation mainly occurred in diffusion combustion phase of diesel pilot jet. Soot peak value is proportional to the first peak value of ROHR, and is found at around the same crank angle position with the second peak of ROHR. At a given engine speed and diesel content in the fuel, the highest soot peak value is obtained with slightly rich mixture whereas soot concentration in exhaust gas increases monotonically with increasing equivalence ratio. Increasing diesel content in the fuel increases both soot peak value and soot concentration in exhaust gas. At a given equivalence ratio and diesel content in the fuel, engine speed has a moderate effect on soot formation rate but a significant effect on soot combustion rate. Soot concentration in the exhaust gas practically vanished as equivalence ratio under 0.98 and 15% diesel content in the fuel. This is the ideal operation regime of bio-gas diesel dual fuel engine in view of soot emission control.

n most organizations, Environmental Management Systems (EMS) adoption is based on voluntary basis; in which the adoption depends on the organization’s aspirations for better environmental performance. Organizations are attracted by very practical benefits through implementation of EMS in their organizations. The primary purpose of an EMS implementation is to improve environmental performance continually in an organization. This research investigates the factors that drive the adoption of EMS by organizations in Sarawak. Empirical findings of a survey on the above in Sarawak organizations are presented. About 112 survey questionnaires invitations were forwarded to various organizations in Sarawak and a total of 47 responses (about 42.0%) were received, Walford (1995) in his assertion said that sampling techniques require 10 percent or more of observations or sampling fractions so that they are to be considered as a representative of the total population. From this research, organizations which have implemented an EMS are mostly from larger organizations in Sarawak which have been established for more than 15 years with over 251 employees and more than one operating location. The results showed that ISO 14001 is the most common EMS frameworks adopted by organizations in Sarawak; followed by Round-table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Among the EMS adoption factors in Sarawak, EMS implementation motivation and the role of top management are the most critical factors in EMS adoption in Sarawak. Besides, management support is also another essential factor for EMS adoption among Sarawak organizations; followed by current market orientation factor.

Offshore wind energy is a valuable renewable resource that is inexhaustible, strong, and consistent. To reduce cost and improve energy production efficiency, future trends are moving towards wind turbines in deep water, which use floating platforms such as tension leg platforms, barges, and semi-submersible designs. Compared to fixed based substructures, these floating platforms are in a state of constant motion which affects the power generation steadiness. The resulting complex dynamic behavior might compromise their efficiency and reduce their nominal life. The complex analysis of floating wind turbines requires computer tools that couple all the different components to represent the complete dynamic response. One such tool, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is the aero-hydro-servo-elastic tool FAST. In this work, simplified models are used for three platform types, and the results are compared with FAST as a way of understanding the essential dynamics. Secondly, using FAST, the influence of platform pitch motion on the steadiness of power generation is examined. This analysis is done for all three platforms for a constant above rated wind speed and above average wave load. Results demonstrate that the power output fluctuation depends on the platform type and blade pitch motion. The effect of platform pitch on the steadiness of power output is only apparent under large oscillating pitch motion, where recurring power drops are observed. The semi-submersible design performs well with relatively steady power output, while the barge design has the most unsteady output, as a result of its susceptibility to typical wave loads.

A place with clean water is worth living for, however, if it runs counter to the usual, it corollary results in some diseases. This epidemiological study does not intend to give a false image on the Kawasan Waterfalls of Badian Cebu, Philippines rather, it aids to provide awareness among tourists to at least minimize anthropological activities that could contribute to water pollutants which cause an increased amount of heavy metals present in the water. With the collection of analyte and lab testing for the presence of cadmium, lead, and mercury in the aforementioned research environment, it was found that the water will not pose any health hazard to anyone in and around the river falls and even to any tourist in the place who wants to plunge into its azure water as far as cadmium and lead concentration is concerned. However, the mean concentration of mercury on the water projected a value, which is beyond the permissible concentrations and therefore may harm anyone in the community. Thus, it is recommended to strengthen measures to prevent and to control the release of these substances into the natural water. Shower facilities should be provided in the place and swimmers should wash first before plunging into the river. As part of an ongoing education and training effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of mercury to potentially exposed individuals on the place. It is also suggested to conduct further concentration analysis of other metals present in the said water falls.