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1 – 10 of over 42000The costs of alternative methods of storing data have changed significantly as electronic systems have evolved. Moreover, we expect the average level of costs to continue falling…
Abstract
The costs of alternative methods of storing data have changed significantly as electronic systems have evolved. Moreover, we expect the average level of costs to continue falling over the next decade as technical change continues. Electronic systems are becoming closer substitutes for traditional ways of storing information in libraries. This issue's column examines the storage capacity of a wide array of representative storage devices in terms of the number of billions of characters or bytes of information—that is, gigabytes of storage—and each system's costs. The cost per gigabyte (GB) of storage varies by several orders of magnitude in ways that have important implications for the evolution of libraries over the next decade.
Antonio Rizzi and Roberto Zamboni
Deals with the issues related to the implementation, in a manual finished goods warehouse, of an ERP information system aimed at improving warehouse internal logistics efficiency…
Abstract
Deals with the issues related to the implementation, in a manual finished goods warehouse, of an ERP information system aimed at improving warehouse internal logistics efficiency. Specifically it is observed that the mere implementation of an integrated warehouse management information system does not actually guarantee the optimization of warehouse logistics. Rather, to improve the overall systems efficiency, it is required that ERP implementation be combined with the redesign and the reorganization of warehouse logistics and processes. This means that to achieve an effective synergic effect and thus effectively increase systems efficiency, both these steps have to be undertaken concurrently, grounding the reorganization and redesign phase on the implementation fallouts )in first place higher traceability levels gained(. The whole project is then applied to a real case of a finished goods manual warehouse, with pile storage systems.
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Sarah Krömer and Nadine Gatzert
The purpose of this paper is to study investments in renewable energy projects which are jointly operated with an energy storage system, with particular focus on risk-return…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study investments in renewable energy projects which are jointly operated with an energy storage system, with particular focus on risk-return characteristics from the perspective of private and institutional investors, taking into account resource risk, energy price risk, inflation risk and policy risk.
Design/methodology/approach
To this end, this paper presents a stochastic discounted cash flow model which is then applied to a wind farm with a pumped hydro storage system.
Findings
The results show that energy storage systems have the potential to increase the expected present value of future investment cash flows and to hedge (downside) risk. However, to realize this potential, storage systems have to be cost-effective in terms of fixed operation, maintenance, staffing and insurance costs. Also, several key factors are identified which have a considerable influence on the performance of the operation strategy.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literature by conducting an analysis of (downside) risk and return of renewable energy investments with a storage system taking into account stochastic policy, resource, inflation and energy price risk.
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Azizat Olusola Gbadegesin, Yanxia Sun and Nnamdi I. Nwulu
Storage systems are deemed to be unable to provide revenue commensurate with the resources invested in them, thus discouraging their incorporation within power networks. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Storage systems are deemed to be unable to provide revenue commensurate with the resources invested in them, thus discouraging their incorporation within power networks. In prosumer microgrids, storage systems can provide revenue from reduced grid consumption, energy arbitraging or when serving as back-up power. This study aims to examine stacking these revenue streams with the aim of making storage systems financially viable for inclusion in prosumer microgrids.
Design/methodology/approach
With the aim of reducing self-consumption and maximising revenue, the prosumer microgrid incorporating hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) and solar PV power is solved using the CPLEX solver of the Advanced Interactive Multidimensional Modeling Software (AIMMS). The financial analysis of the results is carried out to provide the payback periods of different system configurations of the prosumer microgrid.
Findings
The findings reveal that the payback period of the three HESS when minimising grid expenses during self-consumption alone and when compared with stacked revenue streams shows an improvement from 4.8–11.2 years to 2.4–6.6 years. With stacked HESS revenues, the supercapacitor-lithium ion battery HESS gave the shortest payback period of 2.31 years when solar PV power is at 75% penetration level.
Originality/value
Existing literature has considered revenue streams of storage systems at the electrical power transmission and distribution levels, but not for prosumer microgrids in particular. This study has captured these benefits and verified the profitability of stacking revenue from HESS to prosumer microgrids, using a case study.
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James A. Larson, Tun‐Hsiang Yu, Burton C. English, Daniel F. Mooney and Chenguang Wang
The US Department of Energy has a goal to make ethanol from biomass cost competitive with petroleum by 2012. Feedstock procurement is expected to represent a significant portion…
Abstract
Purpose
The US Department of Energy has a goal to make ethanol from biomass cost competitive with petroleum by 2012. Feedstock procurement is expected to represent a significant portion of the operating costs for a refinery that produces ethanol from biomass such as switchgrass. Thus, cost‐effective feedstock logistics will be a key factor for the future development of a capital intensive cellulosic ethanol industry. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the cost of various logistic methods of switchgrass production, harvesting, storing, and transportation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied enterprise budgeting and geographical information system (GIS) software to analyze the costs of three logistic methods of acquiring switchgrass feedstock for a 25 million gallon per year refinery. Procurement methods included traditional large round and rectangular bale harvest and storage systems and satellite preprocessing facilities using field‐chopped material. The analysis evaluated tradeoffs in operating costs, dry matter losses during storage, and investment requirements among the three systems.
Findings
Results suggest that the preprocessing system outperformed the conventional bale harvest methods in the delivered costs of switchgrass.
Practical implications
The cost savings in harvest, transportation, and dry matter losses for the preprocessing system offset their extensive capital costs and generated cost advantages over the conventional methods.
Social implications
The traditional round bale system has a higher overall investment cost, may not be the most cost‐effective way to procure switchgrass feedstock for a refinery, and may limit farmer participation in the feedstock value chain.
Originality/value
GIS methods combined with enterprise budgeting can be useful tools for evaluating investment in feedstock supply chain infrastructure.
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Uroš Stritih, Halime Paksoy, Bekir Turgut, Eneja Osterman, Hunay Evliya and Vincenc Butala
Bilateral project with Slovenia and Turkey with the title thermal energy storage for efficient utilization of solar energy was the basis for this paper. The paper aims to discuss…
Abstract
Purpose
Bilateral project with Slovenia and Turkey with the title thermal energy storage for efficient utilization of solar energy was the basis for this paper. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is the review of solar thermal storage technologies with examples of use in Slovenia and Turkey.
Findings
The authors have found out that compact and cost effective thermal energy storage are essential.
Research limitations/implications
Research on the field of thermal energy storage in Slovenia and Turkey is presented.
Practical implications
The paper presents solar systems in Slovenia and Turkey.
Originality/value
The paper gives information about the sustainable energy future on the basis of solar energy.
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Anna Azzi, Daria Battini, Maurizio Faccio, Alessandro Persona and Fabio Sgarbossa
Logisticians in the worldwide industry are frequently faced with the problem of measuring the total cost of holding inventories with simple and easy-to-use methodologies. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Logisticians in the worldwide industry are frequently faced with the problem of measuring the total cost of holding inventories with simple and easy-to-use methodologies. The purpose of this paper is to look at the problem, and in particular illustrate the inventory holding cost rate computation, when different kind of warehousing systems are applied.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study analysis is here developed and supported by a methodological framework directly derived from the working group discussions and brainstorming activities. Two different field of application are considered: one related to five companies with manual warehousing systems operating with traditional fork lift trucks; the other is among five companies operating with automated storage/retrieval systems (AS/RS) to store inventories.
Findings
The multi-case study helps to understand how the holding cost parameter is currently computed by industrial managers and how much the difference between manual and automated/automatic warehousing systems impacts on the inventory cost structure definition. The insights from the ten case studies provide evidence that the kind of storage system adopted inside the factory can impact on the holding cost rate computation and permit to derive important considerations.
Practical implications
The final aim of this work is to help industrial engineers and logisticians in correctly understanding the inventory costs involved in their systems and their cost structure. In addition, the multi-case analysis leads to considerations, to be applied in different industrial contexts. As other industrial applications are identified, they may be analyzed by using the presented methodology, and with aid from the data from this paper.
Originality/value
The relevance of this work is to help industrial engineers and logisticians in understanding correctly the inventory costs involved in their logistics systems and their cost structure. In addition, the multi-case analysis lead to interesting final considerations, easily to be applied in different industrial contexts. As other industrial applications are identified, they may be analyzed by using the methodology and extrapolating the data from this paper.
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Bo Zheng, Fangping Cai and Jun Xu
Aiming at the product with long storage and one‐time application, this paper establishes the mathematical model of storage reliability and mathematical model system storage…
Abstract
Aiming at the product with long storage and one‐time application, this paper establishes the mathematical model of storage reliability and mathematical model system storage reliability. According to the reliability test data of every part (subsystem) of the product, it evaluates the system reliability of the product and reliable storage life, and lower limit of system storage reliability and lower limit of reliable storage life on the credible level.
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Akbar Alidadi Shamsabadi, Mehdi Jahangiri, Tayebeh Rezaei, Rouhollah Yadollahi Farsani, Ali Seryani and Siavash Hakim
In this study, a solar water heating system along with a seasonal thermal energy storage and a heat pump is designed for a villa with an area of 192 m2 in Tehran, the capital of…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, a solar water heating system along with a seasonal thermal energy storage and a heat pump is designed for a villa with an area of 192 m2 in Tehran, the capital of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
According to the material and the area of the residential space, the required heating of the building was calculated manually and then the thermodynamic analysis of the system and simulation was done in MATLAB software. Finally, regarding the waste of system, an efficient solar heating system, providing all the required energy to heat the building, was obtained.
Findings
The surface area of the solar collector is equal to 46 m2, the capacity of the tank is about 2,850 m3, insulation thickness stands at 55 cm and the coefficient of performance in required heat pump is accounted to about 9.02. Also, according to the assessments, the maximum level of received energy by the collector in this system occurs at a maximum temperature of 68ºC.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, in the present work, for the first time, using mathematical modeling and analyzing of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, as well as using of computational code in MATLAB software environment, the solar-assisted ground source heat pump system is simulated in a residential unit located in Tehran.
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– The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues and concerns raised in a collaborative and cooperative central storage facility for Hong Kong academic libraries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues and concerns raised in a collaborative and cooperative central storage facility for Hong Kong academic libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach is to propose and to implement a joint storage business plan and a possibility of acting for others to consider similar storage facilities.
Findings
Useful experiences have been gained while planning a central storage facility.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed JURA project is for Hong Kong academic libraries.
Practical implications
The sharing of JURA proposal to create a central storage will inform the libraries around the region of the benefits of having a useful facility in the long term.
Originality/value
The paper will inform others wishing to set up collaborative storages on governance, storage systems, business plan, problems and issues in what is still a relatively unexplored approach to storage problems.
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