Energy Efficiency in Design & Construction Coursework

Energy Efficiency in Design & Construction - Coursework Example The old and traditional way of constructing building with the help of steel and glass are now considered inefficient after sufficient research in this area and new methods have been developed that can help in saving energy significantly (Rosemary, 2006, p. 5). Among all other sectors, commercial building sector is that sector, which consumes most of the energy. This is because of the ever-increasing number of commercial and public activities that require an increasing amount of heating, cooling, and air conditioning. Furthermore, with the growth of information technology, and the role that it is playing in improved means of communications; it is also adding to be one of the highest energy consuming sources. Ways to go Energy-Efficient! Some of the energy inefficient ways of construction include â€Å"investing in traditional HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning), mercury vapor, or halogen lighting, using glass that does not resist heat loss and the like† (IEECB 201 2, 2012). ... ly and efficiently, installing motion sensors in rooms and offices that would turn off the lights automatically when no one is in the room and the like. Following are some of the energy efficient ways of designing and constructing that can not only help in controlling global warming, but can also save companies and residents millions of pounds (IEECB 2012, 2012). Alternatives to ventilation, heating and air conditioning have been found that give the same effect but consume much less energy. For example, double glazed windows are an amazing alternative to air-conditioning and it stops the heat from outside to enter inside. At the same time, it also acts as an instrument to cut noise. Similar is the case with compact fluorescent bulbs that save a lot energy as compared to their old counterpart, incandescent bulbs. Using thermal envelopes is one of the techniques to keep the heat where it is supposed to be. Thermal envelopes include everything and anything that separate the indoor of th e house from the outside. This includes proper insulation, wall, and roof assemblies, windows and the like (Crosbie, 1998, p. 14). Using wood for making house is extremely energy efficient. The houses made from wood are not only energy efficient, but also they are also long lasting and stable. R-value is an important factor in determining the intensity of insulation. The insulation material with high R-values would have higher heat resistance and thus are more energy efficient. The number of windows and its careful placement also helps in carefully saving the energy and using it efficiently. This is because windows become a medium of losing heat and in a typical house, windows lead to approximately 25 percent of heat loss. Therefore, experts suggest that in an energy efficient house, there

What are the main differences between Monoploy and Monopolistic Essay

What are the main differences between Monoploy and Monopolistic Competition market structure - Essay Example A monopoly is a market situation where only one seller exists, producing a product which has no close substitutes. It is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to perfect competition. In practice a monopoly situation can arise when a firm has a dominant position in the market in terms of its market share. For example, British Telecom enjoyed a monopoly until 1988 when the UK office of telecommunication decided to end it. The basis for a monopoly market is the existence of barriers to entry. These are factors that prevent new firms from entering the industry, or even if they do, will force them to close. Barriers can be of various forms.The high fixed cost or setup cost can be the toughest obstacle to tackle. The barrier here is access to capital. Only large firm will be able to fund the necessary investment. An established monopoly is likely to have developed specialized production and marketing skills. It is more likely to be aware of the most efficient techniques and the chea pest suppliers. In most cases, such firms have a major cost advantage because of economies of scale which allows them to operate on a lower cost curve. Advertising and brand names with a high degree of consumer loyalty may also prove a difficult barrier to overcome.The firm’s monopoly position may also be protected by patents and other legal protection such as various forms of licensing or tariffs, which may hinder entrance of local and foreign firms. Aggressive tactics and intimidation may also act as a barrier ... However, another market structure that exists is the monopolistic competition. It is close to the competitive end of the spectrum. It is a situation where a lot numerous firms compete with each other, but where each firm does nevertheless has a certain degree of market power thus the term ‘monopolistic’ competition. In monopolistic competition, there are a large number of sellers and due to this no one seller has a control over the supply of the product in the market. Hence, a single firm cannot influence price or output in the market. In other words, the price and output policies of each seller are independent. The grocery retailing market in the UK is arguably monopolistically competitive. In 1991, there were approximately 62,000 food retailing businesses. All were competing for the same product however, each one attempted to offer something unique and different (Anderton 1995). Each firm in monopolistic competition produces similar, but not identical goods and sells d ifferentiated products which are close substitutes to one another. The product is differentiated in a number of ways such as altering the quality of the product, offering supplementary and other services, changing the location of the firm or promoting the product through advertisements. (Gillespie 2002). Unlike monopoly, there are no barriers to entry or exit in monopolistic competition. Entrance becomes possible due to a lower startup capital or the nature of the product. Moreover, in monopolistic competition, the main form of competition is price. Each firm sets the price arbitrarily, usually reducing the price of the product to gain from higher sales. However, at times firms in this type of market also resort to non price competition such as advertising and promotions to capture