Book Chapters by Niall Dunphy
Optimization of Supply Chain Management in Contemporary Organizations, Mar 2015
There is an increasing number of regulatory and public policy initiatives aimed at improving buil... more There is an increasing number of regulatory and public policy initiatives aimed at improving building energy efficiency, recognizing the importance of the built environment to achieve lower energy related emissions. However, these efforts have generally focused on the building scale. A comprehensive reduction of carbon emissions from construction requires a wider focus, considering the building as well as the lifecycle of materials and their supply chains. There is a need for robust analysis of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) implications of construction supply chains and to optimize supply chains configurations so as to minimize GHG emissions across multiple organizations. This chapter provides a rigorous means of assessing the dynamic and complex supply chains of construction to obtain optimal and sustainable levels of GHG reductions in a whole-of-chain approach. Outcomes represent critical new knowledge, enabling deeper understanding as well as enhanced capacity to maximize energy savings from the built environment.
Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Development at University Level
University College Cork is located in an urban setting in the heart of Cork city. The university ... more University College Cork is located in an urban setting in the heart of Cork city. The university was the world’s first Green-Campus awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Copenhagen, in 2010 (renewed 2013) and the world’s first university to achieve ISO50001 standard certification for Energy Management Systems: we are student led, research informed and practice focussed on matters of sustainability and this ethos is embedded across the entire university. During the period campus recycling rate increased from 21 to 75 %, total energy consumption decreased by 9 %, the number of staff choosing to cycle to work- increased from 6 to 12 % across campus. €1,000,000 on waste costs was saved and a saving of over 7,50,000 m3 of water. We are also committed to engaging in training our staff in environmental awareness in biodiversity and environmental management. Student led initiatives range from food production in on-campus poly-tunnels to collaboration with our estates to maintain biodiversity. This paper describes the journey for the university staff and its students in advancing our Green-Campus, with a wider impact on our stakeholders and service providers.
Materials and processes for energy: communicating current research and technological developments, 2013
Energy Efficiency Retrofit (EER) forms a critical component of strategies to reduce energy demand... more Energy Efficiency Retrofit (EER) forms a critical component of strategies to reduce energy demand and is increasingly a source of investment and added economic value. While there is a growing body of literature on the technical aspects of EER, research to date has typically focused on the project or component level, to the detriment of system-wide studies. Understanding the materials and monetary flows within supply chains and the value interactions between stakeholders is vital in optimising the long-term capacity of the sector, and increasing the uptake of EER solutions. This chapter forwards a value approach to modelling retrofit activities, providing an analysis of typical EER materials in construction project supply chains. The reported research demonstrates a novel application of value analysis in the construction industry.
Papers by Niall Dunphy
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 31, 2020
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 21, 2022
X-ROTOR: "X-shaped Radical Offshore wind Turbine for Overall cost of energy Reduction" is a Horiz... more X-ROTOR: "X-shaped Radical Offshore wind Turbine for Overall cost of energy Reduction" is a Horizon 2020 funded project which aims to develop a disruptive new offshore wind turbine concept.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2022
The X-Rotor Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and inno... more The X-Rotor Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101007135. For more information on the project, its partners, and contributors please see https://xrotor-project.eu. Disclaimer The information contained in this document represents the views of X-ROTOR consortium as of the date they are published. The X-ROTOR consortium does not guarantee that any information contained herein is error-free, or up to date, nor makes warranties, express, implied, or statutory, by publishing this document. The information in this document is provided as is and no guarantee or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular purpose. The user thereof uses the information at its sole risk and liability. The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Commission nor its executive agencies are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 20, 2022
The X-Rotor Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and inno... more The X-Rotor Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101007135. For more information on the project, its partners, and contributors please see https://xrotor-project.eu. Disclaimer The information contained in this document represents the views of X-ROTOR consortium as of the date they are published. The X-ROTOR consortium does not guarantee that any information contained herein is error-free, or up to date, nor makes warranties, express, implied, or statutory, by publishing this document. The information in this document is provided as is and no guarantee or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular purpose. The user thereof uses the information at its sole risk and liability. The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Commission nor its executive agencies are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 30, 2021
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), May 11, 2022
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 30, 2021
International journal of qualitative methods, Jan 11, 2023
With global greenhouse gas emissions on the rise, the higher education sector has recognised the ... more With global greenhouse gas emissions on the rise, the higher education sector has recognised the part it must play in reducing its carbon footprint, setting an example for others to follow in the global fight against climate change. In 2019 University College Cork undertook the complex task of designing and developing a Climate Action Plan, beginning with the compilation of a detailed inventory of the university’s greenhouse gas emissions and followed by a period of engaged research during which potential climate action measures were identified by key stakeholders. In response to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and introduction of public health restrictions, a structured dialogue – modified Delphi – approach was employed as part of the engaged research. This mixed-methods approach proved successful at identifying a number of potential opportunities for reducing the university’s carbon footprint, with the structured dialogue method in particular offering the researchers numerous advantages for conducting engaged research during the unique circumstances arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2021
To identify the factors on which potential buyers base their purchasing decisions. The survey wil... more To identify the factors on which potential buyers base their purchasing decisions. The survey will include details of at least 12 potential attributes that influence purchasing decisions influencing attributes of offshore wind turbines. In particular, the market potential of the technology will be assessed using primary data from original surveys of potential buyers and users of innovations (Stakeholder Group 2).
IGI Global eBooks, 2019
There is an increasing number of regulatory and public policy initiatives aimed at improving buil... more There is an increasing number of regulatory and public policy initiatives aimed at improving building energy efficiency, recognizing the importance of the built environment to achieve lower energy-related emissions. However, these efforts have generally focused on the building scale. A comprehensive reduction of carbon emissions from construction requires a wider focus, considering the building as well as the lifecycle of materials and their supply chains. There is a need for robust analysis of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) implications of construction supply chains and to optimize supply chains configurations so as to minimize GHG emissions across multiple organizations. This chapter provides a rigorous means of assessing the dynamic and complex supply chains of construction to obtain optimal and sustainable levels of GHG reductions in a whole-of-chain approach. Outcomes represent critical new knowledge, enabling deeper understanding as well as enhanced capacity to maximize energy savings from the built environment.
International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development, Jul 1, 2015
The transition of food-production and consumption systems to a sustainable, low carbon future pre... more The transition of food-production and consumption systems to a sustainable, low carbon future presents a dauntingly complex issue, involving technical, political, social and theoretical aspects. Such a transition necessitates an exploration of new ways of production and consumption, new technologies and innovations and new regulatory and institutional infrastructures to coordinate the change. Appropriate sustainability assessment has the following advantages: the conceptualisation of complex system functioning; the identification of the need for multi-dimensional, strategic approaches; the development of appropriate policy responses; and the targeting and framing of action (assessment) for sustainability. The paper presents a number of key findings and directions for further research in the context of agri-food systems sustainability.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Feb 9, 2021
7 www.sciencedirect.com 8 www.jstor.org 9 scholar.google.com 10 The use of Google Scholar was not... more 7 www.sciencedirect.com 8 www.jstor.org 9 scholar.google.com 10 The use of Google Scholar was notwithstanding some legitimate criticisms (see e.g., Jacsó, 2010) not least because of the power of its search algorithms, however it was used in full knowledge of its shortcomings and with the combination of other academic databases 11 The three basic Boolean operators ['and', 'or', 'not'] connect words together to narrow or broaden results. 12 Bibliographic databases provide such information to assist users
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 30, 2022
The X-Rotor Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and inno... more The X-Rotor Project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101007135. For more information on the project, its partners, and contributors please see https://xrotor-project.eu. Disclaimer The information contained in this document represents the views of X-ROTOR consortium as of the date they are published. The X-ROTOR consortium does not guarantee that any information contained herein is error-free, or up to date, nor makes warranties, express, implied, or statutory, by publishing this document. The information in this document is provided as is and no guarantee or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular purpose. The user thereof uses the information at its sole risk and liability. The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Commission nor its executive agencies are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Elsevier eBooks, 2023
Given the deep, transformative, and systemic changes needed to transition to low-carbon energy co... more Given the deep, transformative, and systemic changes needed to transition to low-carbon energy configurations, the current level of socio-political discourse remains calcified around classic understandings of the role of the citizen and normative representations of participation. These are almost exclusively framed in terms of consumption behaviors and practices. This merging of citizenship and consumerism is deeply problematic on a number of levels. By narrowly defining the potential of citizens to the singular role of consumer, there is a very real risk we will not achieve the socio-technical transformations that must take place if we are to mitigate against runaway climate change. This chapter explores these issues in the context of a growing body of literature on competing for energy democracy imaginaries. Significant barriers remain, from misunderstandings of what constitutes participation to the roles and expectations placed on citizens who must contend with the growing inequalities already locked into existing democratic structures.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 2, 2022
Achieving the European Union's vision of climate neutrality by 2050 dictates the need to transfor... more Achieving the European Union's vision of climate neutrality by 2050 dictates the need to transform the role that citizens can play in decarbonizing the energy system. Yet, "which citizens to involve in this process," "when to involve them," and "how to do so fairly and effectively," are questions that still remain unclear to both experts and policymakers. Energy citizenship has been discussed as a concept that has the potential to galvanize the public for the energy transition. This potential has yet to be fulfilled, as there is a need to connect theory and concepts to the realities, challenges, and opportunities of the lives of citizens, under diverse circumstances. In this perspective, we argue that the concept of energy citizenship and its potential for contributing to low carbon transitions should be studied within a research framework that aims to produce transformative knowledge. We also introduce such a new transdisciplinary framework for creating transformative knowledge to explore and address questions relevant to the concept of energy citizenship. Our framework aims to produce knowledge that can be used to mobilize decarbonization actions for both individuals and collectives, by: (i). integrating different scales of analysis and action, i.e., at individual, collective, and national/ regional/ global levels, (ii). reconceptualizing the role of research and researchers, and finally, (iii). striving to be inclusive in a meaningful and innovative way.
Philosophy of engineering and technology, 2022
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Book Chapters by Niall Dunphy
Papers by Niall Dunphy
There are three broad strands of performance metrics that are applied to decision-making in building energy retrofits, viz. energy savings, financial return and more recently, reduction of carbon emissions. Best practice involves consideration of these metrics on a whole life basis using approaches derived from methodologies such as life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), and life cycle assessment (LCA).
However, obtaining satisfactory (not to mention optimal) choices requires acknowledgement of a number of different performance risks associated with these lifecycle metrics and necessitates the development of approaches to reflect them in the decision-making process.
This paper contributes to the required discussion by examining conventional approaches to assessing building energy retrofits and by identifying and exploring a number of performance risks.
• Trade-offs between current and future impacts - an integral part of decision-making processes in many domains, but difficult questions arise as to whether and how to apply discounting to environmental impacts;
• Temporal homogeneity within life cycle inventories - the aggregation of data along the product’s life cycle, with no allowance for timing, of emissions for example, may result in inaccurate estimates of impact and thereby affect the quality of decision-making;
• Reduction of carbon intensity of centralised energy grids - affects the quality of carbon saving predictions from energy retrofits, which heretofore have used a static model of carbon emissions from centralised energy grids;
• The unknown and possibly unknowable longevity of retrofit solutions installed - many of which are new technology, creates problems when attempting to determine their life cycle impacts.
This report should be considered in conjunction with its companion deliverable, D3.9 Energy Governance Analysis and Typology for Communities. Taken together, they provide an overview of the key factors currently impacting CEC formation in Europe and the governance frameworks that are driving it