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- Title
- LANDFILL GAS TO ENERGY: INCENTIVES & BENEFITS.
- Creator
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Amini, Hamid, Reinhart, Debra, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategies typically include a combination of three approaches, recycling, combustion, and landfill disposal. In the US approximately 54% of the generated MSW was landfilled in 2008, mainly because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, landfills remain a major concern due to potential landfill gas (LFG) emissions, generated from the chemical and biological processes occurring in the disposed waste. The main components of LFG are methane (50...
Show moreMunicipal solid waste (MSW) management strategies typically include a combination of three approaches, recycling, combustion, and landfill disposal. In the US approximately 54% of the generated MSW was landfilled in 2008, mainly because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, landfills remain a major concern due to potential landfill gas (LFG) emissions, generated from the chemical and biological processes occurring in the disposed waste. The main components of LFG are methane (50-60%) and carbon dioxide (40-50%). Although LFG poses a threat to the environment, if managed properly it is a valuable energy resource due to the methane content. Currently there are over 550 active LFG to energy (LFGTE) facilities in the US, producing renewable energy from LFG. A major challenge in designing/operating a LFGTE facility is the uncertainty in LFG generation rate predictions. LFG generation rates are currently estimated using models that are dependent upon the waste disposal history, moisture content, cover type, and gas collection system, which are associated with significant uncertainties. The objectives of this research were to: (1) Evaluate various approaches of estimating LFG generation and to quantify the uncertainty of the model outcomes based on case-study analysis, (2) Present a methodology to predict long-term LFGTE potential under various operating practices on a regional scale, and (3) Investigate costs and benefits of emitting vs. collecting LFG emissions with regards to operation strategies and regulations. The first-order empirical model appeared to be insensitive to the approach taken in quantifying the model parameters, suggesting that the model may be inadequate to accurately describe LFG generation and collection. The uncertainty values for the model were, in general, at their lowest within five years after waste placement ended. Because of the exponential nature, the uncertainty increased as LFG generation declined to low values decades after the end of waste placement. A methodology was presented to estimate LFGTE potential on a regional scale over a 25-year timeframe with consideration of modeling uncertainties. The methodology was demonstrated for the US state of Florida, and showed that Florida could increase the annual LFGTE production by more than threefold by 2035 through installation of LFGTE facilities at all landfills. Results showed that diverting food waste could significantly reduce fugitive LFG emissions, while having minimal effect on the LFGTE potential. Estimates showed that with enhanced landfill operation and energy production practices, LFGTE power density could be comparable to technologies such as wind, tidal, and geothermal. More aggressive operations must be considered to avoid fugitive LFG emissions, which could significantly affect the economic viability of landfills. With little economic motivation for US landfill owners to voluntarily reduce fugitive emissions, regulations are necessary to increase the cost of emitting GHGs. In light of the recent economic recession, it is not likely that a carbon tax will be established; while a carbon trading program will enforce emission caps and provide a tool to offset some costs and improve emission-reduction systems. Immediate action establishing a US carbon trading market with carbon credit pricing and trading supervised by the federal government may be the solution. Costs of achieving high lifetime LFG collection efficiencies are unlikely to be covered with revenues from tipping fee, electricity sales, tax credits, or carbon credit trading. Under scenarios of highly regulated LFG emissions, sustainable landfilling will require research, development, and application of technologies to reduce the marginal abatement cost, including: (1) Diverting rapidly decomposable waste to alternative treatment methods, (2) Reducing fugitive emissions through usage daily/intermediate covers with high oxidation potential, (3) Increasing the lifetime LFG collection efficiency, and (4) Increasing LFG energy value - for instance by producing high-methane gas through biologically altering the LFG generation pathway.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003960, ucf:48682
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003960
- Title
- A REAL OPTION STRATEGIC SCORECARD DECISION FRAMEWORK FOR IT PROJECT SELECTION.
- Creator
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Munoz, Cesar, Rabelo, Luis, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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ABSTRACT The problem of project selection is of significant importance in management of information systems. Almost $2 trillion is spent worldwide every year on IT projects, with over $600 billion spent in the US alone. Traditionally, managers have being using the classical net present value (NPV) method in conjunction with multicriteria scoring models for ROI analysis and selection of IT project investments The multicriteria models use ad-hoc evaluation criteria to assign priority weights...
Show moreABSTRACT The problem of project selection is of significant importance in management of information systems. Almost $2 trillion is spent worldwide every year on IT projects, with over $600 billion spent in the US alone. Traditionally, managers have being using the classical net present value (NPV) method in conjunction with multicriteria scoring models for ROI analysis and selection of IT project investments The multicriteria models use ad-hoc evaluation criteria to assign priority weights and then rate the alternatives against each criterion. These models have two limitations. First, the criteria and weights are based on subjective judgments, allowing the introduction of politics in the information management decision process and the generation of arbitrary results. Second, the classical approach uses deterministic estimations of the cost, benefits and the returns of the projects, without considering the impact of uncertainty and risk in the business decisions. This research proposed a better alternative for ROI analysis and selection of IT projects using a real option strategic scorecard (ROSS) approach. In contrast with traditional methodologies and previous research work, the ROSS decision framework uses a more comprehensive, axiomatic approach for systematically measuring both the business value and the strategic implications of IT project investments. The ROSS approach integrates in a unified IT project management decision framework the best elements of real option theory, strategic balanced scorecards, Monte Carlo simulations and analytical network processes to fully analyzes the effect of uncertainty and risk in the IT investment decisions. In addition, the ROSS approach complies with the critical success factors that have being identified in the literature for validation of IT decision frameworks. The main benefit of the ROSS approach is to enable managers to better compare and rank projects in the IT portfolio, optimizing the ROI analysis and selection of information system projects.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001331, ucf:46975
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001331
- Title
- Sustainability Assessment of a Municipal Utility Complex: a System of Systems Approach.
- Creator
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Fahmy, Tarek, Oloufa, Amr, Tatari, Omer, Al-Deek, Haitham, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Construction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal....
Show moreConstruction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal. However, decision and policy makers lack a system of systems approach that takes into account multiple interdependent systems comprised of the functional system (infrastructure, facilities, operations within the complex), the economic system, the social/cultural system, and the environmental system (environmental impact on air, water, soil). This research proposes a decision support system (DSS) with a new methodology using Vensim software and system dynamics methodology to assess the sustainability of a municipal utility complex system. This DSS incorporates 1) multiple interdependent systems, 2) multiple sustainability/performance indices, and 3) composite sustainability index. Engineers, managers, and researchers should benefit from a system of systems perspective, and from the application of a sustainability assessment method that is developed to provide an environmentally-conscious design, construction and management. Although a municipal utility complex is built with synergistic opportunities for integration of processes of a wastewater treatment plant, a resource recovery facility (aka waste-to-energy (WTE) or incineration facility), a material recycling facility (MRF), and a landfill; engineers tend to use the traditional sustainability assessment methods only to assess the life cycle (LCA) of each system's process over time. They might not necessarily incorporate an assessment based on system dynamics of the functional, economic, environmental, and social/cultural systems. Data from a case study is utilized in this dissertation based on the municipal utility complex in Pasco County in the western region of the State of Florida, USA.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005944, ucf:50809
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005944
- Title
- Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Framework for the U.S. Built Environment.
- Creator
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Kucukvar, Murat, Tatari, Mehmet, Oloufa, Amr, Behzadan, Amir, Al-Deek, Haitham, Pazour, Jennifer, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The overall goals of this dissertation are to investigate the sustainability of the built environment, holistically, by assessing its Triple Bottom Line (TBL): environmental, economic, and social impacts, as well as propose cost-effective, socially acceptable, and environmentally benign policies using several decision support models. This research is anticipated to transform life cycle assessment (LCA) of the built environment by using a TBL framework, integrated with economic input-output...
Show moreThe overall goals of this dissertation are to investigate the sustainability of the built environment, holistically, by assessing its Triple Bottom Line (TBL): environmental, economic, and social impacts, as well as propose cost-effective, socially acceptable, and environmentally benign policies using several decision support models. This research is anticipated to transform life cycle assessment (LCA) of the built environment by using a TBL framework, integrated with economic input-output analysis, simulation, and multi-criteria optimization tools. The major objectives of the outlined research are to (1) build a system-based TBL sustainability assessment framework for the sustainable built environment, by (a) advancing a national TBL-LCA model which is not available for the United States of America; (b) extending the integrated sustainability framework through environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators; and (2) develop a system-based analysis toolbox for sustainable decisions including Monte Carlo simulation and multi-criteria compromise programming. When analyzing the total sustainability impacts by each U.S. construction sector, (")Residential Permanent Single and Multi-Family Structures" and "Other Non-residential Structures" are found to have the highest environmental, economic, and social impacts compared to other construction sectors. The analysis results also show that indirect suppliers of construction sectors have the largest sustainability impacts compared to on-site activities. For example, for all U.S. construction sectors, on-site construction processes are found to be responsible for less than 5 % of total water consumption, whereas about 95 % of total water use can be attributed to indirect suppliers. In addition, Scope 3 emissions are responsible for the highest carbon emissions compared to Scope 1 and 2. Therefore, using narrowly defined system boundaries by ignoring supply chain-related impacts can result in underestimation of TBL sustainability impacts of the U.S. construction industry.Residential buildings have higher shares in the most of the sustainability impact categories compared to other construction sectors. Analysis results revealed that construction phase, electricity use, and commuting played important role in much of the sustainability impact categories. Natural gas and electricity consumption accounted for 72% and 78% of the total energy consumed in the U.S. residential buildings. Also, the electricity use was the most dominant component of the environmental impacts with more than 50% of greenhouse gases emitted and energy used through all life stages. Furthermore, electricity generation was responsible for 60% of the total water withdrawal of residential buildings, which was even greater than the direct water consumption in residential buildings. In addition, construction phase had the largest share in income category with 60% of the total income generated through residential building's life cycle. Residential construction sector and its supply chain were responsible for 36% of the import, 40% of the gross operating surplus, and 50% of the gross domestic product. The most sensitive parameters were construction activities and its multiplier in most the sustainability impact categories.In addition, several emerging pavement types are analyzed using a hybrid TBL-LCA framework. Warm-mix Asphalts (WMAs) did not perform better in terms of environmental impacts compared to Hot-mix Asphalt (HMA). Asphamin(&)#174; WMA was found to have the highest environmental and socio-economic impacts compared to other pavement types. Material extractions and processing phase had the highest contribution to all environmental impact indicators that shows the importance of cleaner production strategies for pavement materials. Based on stochastic compromise programming results, in a balanced weighting situation, Sasobit(&)#174; WMA had the highest percentage of allocation (61%), while only socio-economic aspects matter, Asphamin(&)#174; WMA had the largest share (57%) among the WMA and HMA mixtures. The optimization results also supported the significance of an increased WMA use in the United States for sustainable pavement construction. Consequently, the outcomes of this dissertation will advance the state of the art in built environment sustainability research by investigating novel efficient methodologies capable of offering optimized policy recommendations by taking the TBL impacts of supply chain into account. It is expected that the results of this research would facilitate better sustainability decisions in the adoption of system-based TBL thinking in the construction field.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005018, ucf:50007
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005018
- Title
- Constructing and Validating an Integrative Economic Model of Health Care Systems and Health Care Markets: A Comparative Analysis of OECD Countries.
- Creator
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Helligso, Jesse, Wan, Thomas, Liu, Albert Xinliang, King, Christian, Hamann, Kerstin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation argues that there are three basic types of health care systems used in industrial nations: free market (private insurance and provision), universal (public insurance and private provision), and socialized (public insurance and provision). It examines the role of market forces (supply and demand) within the health care systems and their effects on health outcomes by constructing an integrative model of health care markets and policies that is lacking within the scientific and...
Show moreThis dissertation argues that there are three basic types of health care systems used in industrial nations: free market (private insurance and provision), universal (public insurance and private provision), and socialized (public insurance and provision). It examines the role of market forces (supply and demand) within the health care systems and their effects on health outcomes by constructing an integrative model of health care markets and policies that is lacking within the scientific and academic literature. The results show that, free market systems have decreased access to care, good quality of care, and are economically inefficient resulting in 2.7 years of life expectancy lost and wasted expenditures (expenditures that do not increase life expectancy) of $3474 per capita ($1.12 trillion per year in the U.S.). Socialized systems are the most economically efficient systems but have decreased access to care compared to universal systems, increased access to care compared to free market systems and have the lowest quality of care of all three systems resulting in 3 months of life expectancy lost per capita and a saving of $335 per capita. Universal systems perform better than either of the other 2 systems based on quality and access to care. The models show that health insurance is a Giffen Good; a good that defies the law of demand. This study is the first fully demonstrated case of a Giffen good. This investigation shows how the theoretically informed integrative model behaves as predicted and influences health outcomes contingent upon the system type. To test and substantiate this integrative model, regression analysis, Time-Series-Cross-Section analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed using longitudinal data provided and standardized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results demonstrate that universal health care systems are superior to the other two systems.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007335, ucf:52114
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007335
- Title
- INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY: SOCIOECONOMIC ACTORS AND PUBLIC POLICY IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES.
- Creator
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Hudson, Jennifer, Kinsey, Barbara, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In this thesis I conduct a comparative analysis of the influence of socioeconomic actors, business and labor, on public policy in Germany and the United States, specifically public policy that has an impact on economic inequality. The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of how institutional constructs may determine the level of influence by different socioeconomic actors on public policy. In particular, I examine the link between institutional design and economic...
Show moreIn this thesis I conduct a comparative analysis of the influence of socioeconomic actors, business and labor, on public policy in Germany and the United States, specifically public policy that has an impact on economic inequality. The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of how institutional constructs may determine the level of influence by different socioeconomic actors on public policy. In particular, I examine the link between institutional design and economic inequality, specifically the relative influence of business interests in varying types of capitalist economies and democratic systems, and assess those facets of institutional design that may facilitate the channeling of business influence in policy making. I explore institutional changes in the German political and economic system beginning in the late 1980s to determine whether these changes have altered the policy making process over time, and analyze similarities with institutional changes that have taken place in the United States beginning in the late 1970s to present. Further, I examine whether shifts in institutional design indicate that the German system is transitioning towards a more liberal model similar to that of the United States, and consider what effects this may have on the level of economic inequality in Germany. To conduct my analysis I use the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework; based on the IAD framework I create a conceptual map of the channels by which socioeconomic actors are involved in the policy making process. I evaluate the policy-making process in both formal and informal policy arenas. The policy areas analyzed include corporate governance, industrial relations, and tax, welfare and minimum wage policy during the selected time periods. The analysis shows that the institutional designs that produced the selected policies benefit business interests and may contribute towards economic inequality. The larger goal is to develop research that will build a theoretical foundation to help us identify how these systems may be improved to produce a more equitable allocation of economic resources.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004690, ucf:45243
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004690
- Title
- Uncovering The Sub-Text: Presidents' Emotional Expressions and Major Uses of Force.
- Creator
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Assaf, Elias, Houghton, David, Kim, Myunghee, Dolan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The global context of decision making continues to adapt in response to international threats. Political psychologists have therefore considered decision making processes regarding major uses of force a key area of interest. Although presidential personality has been widely studied as a mitigating factor in the decision making patterns leading to uses of force, traditional theories have not accounted for the emotions of individuals as they affect political actions and are used to frame public...
Show moreThe global context of decision making continues to adapt in response to international threats. Political psychologists have therefore considered decision making processes regarding major uses of force a key area of interest. Although presidential personality has been widely studied as a mitigating factor in the decision making patterns leading to uses of force, traditional theories have not accounted for the emotions of individuals as they affect political actions and are used to frame public perception of the use of force. This thesis therefore measures expressed emotion and cognitive expressions in the form of expressed aggression, passivity, blame, praise, certainty, realism, and optimism as a means of predicting subsequent major uses of force. Since aggression and blame are precipitated by anger and perceived vulnerability, they are theorized to foreshadow increased uses of force (Gardner and Moore 2008). Conversely, passivity and praise are indicative of empathy and joy respectively, and are not expected to precede aggressive behavior conducted to maintain emotional regulation (Roberton, Daffer, and Bucks 2012). Additionally, the three cognitive variables of interest expand on existing literature on beliefs and decision making expounded by such authors as Walker (2010), Winter (2003) and Hermann (2003). DICTION 6.0 is used to analyze all text data of presidential news conferences, candidate debates, and State of the Union speeches given between 1945 and 2000 stored by The American Presidency Project (Hart and Carroll 2012). Howell and Pevehouse's (2005) quantitative assessment of quarterly U.S. uses of force between 1945 and 2000 is employed as a means of quantifying instances of major uses of force. Results show systematic differences among the traits expressed by presidents, with most expressions staying consistent across spontaneous speech contexts. Additionally, State of the Union speeches consistently yielded the highest scores across the expressed traits measured; supporting the theory that prepared speech is used to emotionally frame situations and setup emotional interpretations of events to present to the public. Time sensitive regression analyses indicate that expressed aggression within the context of State of the Union Addresses is the only significant predictor of major uses of force by the administration. That being said, other studies may use the comparative findings presented herein to further establish a robust model of personality that accounts for individual dispositions toward emotional expression as a means of framing the emotional interpretation of events by audiences.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005300, ucf:50513
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005300