Search results for "Saving"
showing 10 items of 192 documents
Economies of diversification in microfinance: Evidence from quantile estimation on panel data
2020
Abstract Prior studies of the diversification-driven cost savings from the joint provision of credit and deposits in microfinance usually ignore the multi-way heterogeneity across MFIs which vary substantially in size, business model, target clientele and operate in diverse environments. Using a quantile panel data model with correlated effects capable of accommodating multiple heterogeneity, we show that the typical measurement of economies of diversification at the mean provides an incomplete and distorted picture of their magnitude and prevalence in the industry. While we find statistically significant estimates, they are modest for most small-size MFIs but are quite substantial for larg…
Governance and scope economies in microfinance institutions
2013
This paper studies the relation between board size and composition and cost savings (scope economies) from combining savings mobilisation and lending by Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). The findings support the hypothesis that employee representation on the board is associated with positive scope economies, possibly due to internal knowledge. However, CEO-Chairman duality is associated with equal or larger probability of scope diseconomies, which is consistent with previous findings. Representation
OPTIMIZATION OF POLYGENERATION SYSTEMS SERVING A CLUSTER OF BUILDINGS
2012
The optimization of combined energy systems for the production and distribution of warm and cold fluids to civil users is very complex; two possible configurations, i.e. the small single units for individual buildings and the large plants integrated with district heating networks, can be essentially considered, especially in cold climates. Dealing with such a complex problem, involving a very large number of variables, requires efficient algorithms and resolution techniques. The present chapter illustrates a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP)1 approach to the optimization of synthesis, design and operation for CHCP-based μ-grids including thermal energy storages. A novel approach is presen…
Leading agritourism facilities along Nearly Zero Energy paths: Proposal of an easy-to-use evaluation method
2020
The tourist sector, despite the present severe constraints imposed by the sanitary emergence, can be considered as an important component of almost all countries' economies. In Italy agriturism, in particular, has been experiences a continuously rising trend in recent years. Clearly, such great interest towards these businesses also calls for a deep attention by an energy point of view, in sight of an energy efficiency improvement, hence a lowering of the pressure that such facilities exert to the natural environment. On the other hand, the European Union has been engaged, for a long time, in awarding the tourist accommodations environmental excellence brands, like the EU Ecolabel. Unfortun…
A new type of hydraulic cylinder system controlled by the new-type hydraulic transformer
2013
In order to enhance the efficiency of the hydraulic system, one new-type hydraulic transformer is presented in this paper. First, the basic structure and the principle of the new-type hydraulic transformer are explained. Then, the mathematical models including both the inner and outer loops are analyzed. Moreover, two kinds of control methods are discussed corresponding to the two loops, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed strategies are translated into the simulation languages, and the simulation is made in Simulink. Finally, the prototypes of new-type hydraulic transformer and the test rig are constructed to test the performance. Both the simulated and experimental results show that …
Explicit relationships for optimal designing rectangular microirrigation units on uniform slopes: The IRRILAB software application
2018
Abstract Many attempts have been made to provide easy tools for designing microirrigation units. However, most of these have dealt with numerical solutions, which require many trial-and-error attempts and time-consuming iterations, performed by applying the basic hydraulic equations from the manifold to the end of both the downhill and the uphill sides of the laterals. Recently, analytical procedures to optimally design paired drip laterals on uniform slopes were proposed, providing readily obtainable results and energy saving. Although these analytical solutions can be practically applied, they only make it possible to design a one-lateral unit; to be really interesting for practical appli…
An original multi-objective criterion for the design of small-scale polygeneration systems based on realistic operating conditions
2008
The optimal design and operation of cogeneration and trigeneration systems for buildings applications is a complex issue, which has been investigated by several different approaches. Both the two basic management strategies, namely heat-tracking and electricity-tracking, have advantages and drawbacks in terms of operating results and may lead the plant designer either to undersize or oversize the CHP unit with respect to the optimal lay-out. Experimental works have demonstrated how the actual on-site performance of small-scale polygeneration systems significantly differs from their expected operation, due to the need for a regular plant operation and the effects of outages for scheduled or …
Matching Economical, Energetic and Environmental Benefits: An Analysis for Hybrid CHCP-Heat Pumps Systems
2006
Abstract The optimization of design and operation of combined heat, cooling and power systems usually leads to select different plant lay-outs and size of components, depending on the adopted optimization criterion (maximum profit or energy saving or minimum environmental impact). This occurs when the current energy prices and the normative provisions supporting cogeneration are not able to coincide with the specific customer’s interest and the overall “social interest” for a reduction in energy consumption and in pollutants’ emissions. At EU level, polygeneration is considered to have a large potential for residential and commercial buildings district network, for the tertiary sector and f…
The potential of optimization in communal routing problems: case studies from Finland
2009
Abstract: In many European countries, municipalities offer their inhabitants a wide variety of social services. In this paper we will focus on efficiently scheduling home care, transportation of the elderly, and home meal delivery. These so-called municipal or communal routing problems can be modeled as different variants of the vehicle routing problem, a well-known optimization problem from the literature. We present a focused literature review and report on case studies using Finnish data. The computational results show that there is a significant potential for cost savings for all applications considered.
Evaluation and application of Opuntia ficus-indica insulation panel
2015
Today the attention to the building sustainability issue is increasingly important, because of the major responsibility of the buildings field in the environmental degradation: both in terms of energy consumption from non-renewable sources and the raw materials impoverishment. In addition, the level of comfort required by users are growing and the thermal insulation of buildings becomes the key element in the reduction of energy consumption and C02 emissions, both in the case of new construction and existing ones. The thermal insulation of buildings is the key element in the reduction of energy consumption and C02 emissions due to the cooling of building interiors, both in the case of new c…