Browsing by Author "Davis, Stephen"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Mathematical modelling and risk management in deregulated electricity markets
    (2005) Davis, Stephen; Stewart, Theodor J
    In this thesis we aim to explore how electricity generation companies cope with the transition to a competitive environment in a newly deregulated electricity industry. Analyses and discussions are generally performed from the perspective of a Generator/Producer, otherwise they are undertaken with respect to the market as a whole. The techniques used for tackling the complex issues are diverse and wide-ranging as ascertained from the existing literature on the subject. The global ideology focuses on combining two streams of thought: the production optimisation and equilibrium techniques of the old monopolistic, cost-saving industry and; the new dynamic profit-maximising and risk-mitigating competitive industry. Financial engineering in a new and poorly understood market for electrical power must now take place in conjunction with - yet also constrained by - the physical production and distribution of the commodity.
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    Measuring the rebound effect of energy efficiency initiatives for the future: A South African case study
    (2011) Davis, Stephen; Cohen, Brett; Hughes, Alison; Durbach, Ian; Nyatsanza, Kudakwashe
    The rebound effect is a phrase which was originally defined to refer to the extent to which energy efficiency improvements are lost due to subsequent behavioural changes. This report documents almost three years of research work that set out to quantify the rebound effect of energy efficiency initiatives in South Africa’s residential sector, and to explore ways of mitigating that effect using awareness and education. Society is in an era where energy commodities are characterised by constrained supply, increasing demand, and higher prices, and where the harmful social and environmental externalities resulting from the conversion of primary into useful energy can no longer be ignored. Part of the solution to the sustainable energy provision and consumption challenge has focused on the technology devices used to convert primary and secondary energy to useful energy that can be used for lighting, water heating, space heating and cooling (and a host of other end-uses). Given that all energy demand can ultimately be traced to the energy required for survival, a study of the residential sector is the natural place to begin.
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    Modelling household responses to energy efficiency interventions via system dynamics and survey data
    (Stellenbosch University, 2010) Davis, Stephen; Durbach, Ian
    An application of building a system dynamics model of the way households might respond to interventions aimed at reducing energy consumption (specifically the use of electricity) is described in this paper. A literature review of past research is used to build an initial integrated model of household consumption, and this model is used to generate a small number of research hypotheses about how households possessing different characteristics might react to various types of interventions. These hypotheses are tested using data gathered from an efficiency intervention conducted in a town in the South African Western Cape in which households were able to exchange regular light bulbs for more efficient compact fluorescent lamp light bulbs. Our experiences are (a) that a system dynamics approach proved useful in advancing a non-traditional point of view for which, for historical and economic reasons, data were not abundantly available; (b) that, in areas where traditional models are heavily quantitative, some scepticism to a system dynamics model may be expected; and (c) that a statistical comparison of model results by means of empirical data may be an effective tool in reducing such scepticism.
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    Quantifying SD-PAMs: National energy models and international allocation models for climate change mitigation: South African case study. Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town.
    (2008) Winkler, Harald; Marquard, Andrew; Manley, Jonathan; Davis, Stephen; Trikam, Ajay; den Elzen, Michel; Höhne, Niklas; Witi, Jongikhaya
    Sustainable development policies and measures (SD-PAMs) are an approach to stimulating action on climate change mitigation in developing countries. Instead of starting from explicit climate targets, the approach deliberately sets out to start from development objectives. This strategic approach taps into the primary motivation for developing countries, namely development. Defining more sustainable pathways to meet given development objectives has significant climate co-benefits. These co-benefits are by now broadly accepted (IPCC 2007, 2001b; Robinson et al. 2006; Winkler et al. 2006; Szklo et al. 2005; Munasinghe & Swart 2005; Baumert & Winkler 2005; Bradley et al. 2005; IISD 2005), the question is how to capture these benefits in the multi-lateral climate regime. A new strategic approach is needed, and SD-PAMs offers one possible approach. This approach provides a means to identify ‘nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing country Parties in the context of sustainable development, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner’ (UNFCCC 2007). Sustainable development is part of core balance between sub-paragraphs 1b(i) and 1b(ii), in that mitigation actions by developing countries are qualified as being ‘in the context of sustainable development’.
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    A techno-economic study of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for supermarkets in South Africa
    (2011) Pather-Elias, Simisha; Cohen, Brett; Davis, Stephen
    The aim of this study was to do a techno-economic analysis for the use of both energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in supermarkets to determine the best options to implement to reduce grid electricity consumption, and its resulting carbon emissions in a cost-effective way.