Tecsol

Carrageenan is a high-value hydrocolloid found in the red alga Chondracanthus chamissoi (locally known as "yuyo"), which is abundant in Pisco, Peru. During manual sorting for commercialization, large quantities are discarded on the beach, causing coastal pollution. This study developed a sustainable process to recover carrageenan from these discarded algal residues using alkaline extraction, precipitation via solvent exchange, decolorization, and drying. The obtained carrageenan was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, confirming its characteristic chemical structure. The procedure allows for the valorization of an algal waste product, reduces environmental impact, and yields a high-value bioproduct for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The results lay the foundation for a local biorefinery industry aligned with the principles of the circular economy and sustainable development.

Over the last two decades, grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems have increased from a niche market to one of the leading power generation capacity additions annually. In 2018 the total installed photovoltaic electricity generation capacity exceeded 500 GW. Another doubling is forecasted until the early 2020s. Therefore, the further development is coupled with the question at what prices solar photovoltaic electricity can be provided and delivered to the customers. The installation of PV systems for self-consumption is already now an interesting option for many people but in general limited to those who have access to a rooftop they own or can use. A new envelopment to enable residents of multi apartment buildings to commonly use electricity generated by a PV system (collective self-consumption) is a relatively new development and is still facing a lot of administrative and regulatory challenges.

This study focused on changing language use and social norms in secondary school settings. It investigated how teachers and school leaders define language transgressions and interpret policies such as verbal misconduct. The study used snowball sampling and Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the accounts of 19 secondary school leaders and teachers in South-East Queensland. Findings indicate policy ambiguity and the use of personal parameters in defining acceptability standards and responses. In addition, taboo terms referencing social variables such as race, gender and sexuality are of greater concern than individual swear words, leading to an innovative framework of contemporary language taboos.

The application of solar heating and cooling systems for building air-conditioning actually shows a significant potential of exploitation, particularly in sunny regions.The choice whether or not to apply such technologies in different climates should be based on the assessment of their energy/environmental, economic and social sustainability, as well as their technical characteristics as reliability, durability and energy efficiency.To support researchers and decision-makers in the selection of the best solar air-conditioning solution in a specific geographic and energy context, the paper proposes a set of technical, economic, energy/environmental and social key performance indicators.The research activity was developed within the Task 53 "New generation solar cooling & heating systems (PV or solar thermally driven systems)" of the International Energy Agency.

This work was done in the SOLERA project (http://www.solera-project.eu), Sixth EU Framework Program (FP6), co-funded by EC and coordinated by Fraunhofer ISE. It started in November 2007 and will stop in November 2011. The goal of the project SOLERA is to install, operate and evaluate three different solar cooling systems of different sizes.