Sustainability Commons^™

Developing A Simulation Model For Power Demand Control Analysis And Privacy Protection In Smart Grid, Sungchul Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the growing awareness of the need for Smart Grid, various countries are taking initiatives for developing Smart Grid. However, there is limited research on utilizing Smart Grid for Power Demand Control compared to the other areas such as Smart Grid communication network or renewable energy integration. Therefore, this study attempts to help the current Outage Management System by creating a Simulator that allows an intuitive power demand control analysis. Electrical usage is simulated by taking various inputs including the number of houses, family size, work and life patterns, electrical devices, time, etc. For accurate estimate of family and life …

Legal Issues In Green Construction, Namrata Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The most recent "green construction movement", made a significant impact on the design and construction industry in the United States. Organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have lobbied governmental entities to provide financial incentives to promote green construction. The green construction community also promotes the notion that a healthier working and living environment is achieved. Due to finical incentives coupled with projected long-term energy cost savings, many owners of new construction are considering green construction as an option. Accompanying the "green construction movement", new kinds of legal issues, particularly relating to green aspects such as certification, energy …

A Green Marketing Guideline For The Cruise Industry In North America, Xi Guo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this professional paper is to develop a guideline of green marketing strategies for cruise managers in North America.

Statement of objectives: This paper will develop a customer relationship model according to the literature review of customer behavior and customer relationships in the hospitality industry. Meanwhile, the characteristics of green customers and the most popular green practices in the hotel and restaurant industry, and current sustainable achievements in the cruise industry will be investigated respectively. The green marketing guideline will be explored basing on the customer relationship model and the investigations of green customers and green practices …

Running Head: Sustainability Framework Applied To Integrated Resort 1 International Standard Of Sustainability Framework Applied To Integrated Resorts, Jong Hwa Jeon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which Las Vegas integrated resorts apply measurement framework for sustainability. It will scrutinize and explore the existing sustainability strategies and practices, and look into several plausible ways to improve the sustainability movement that the companies in hospitality industry currently have. The paper will also look into the tracking and measuring system in consuming resources and the equivalent common actions taken by the management of the hospitality companies. From there, the paper will discuss the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guideline and establish if the companies have aligned their efforts …

Marketing Analysis For Bonk Knob Shoals Located In Van Buren County, Tennessee, Lillian Lee Ehrmann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide Alfred Crabtree, owner of Bonk Knob Shoals, with a marketing plan. Bonk Knob Shoals will be an upscale campsite nearby Spencer, TN in Van Buren County.

Statement of Objective: Bonk Knob Shoals is currently under development and the owner wants to gain insight to LOHAS tourists, so he can create a suitable business plan to attract people in that niche market. Marketing is a huge component of the business plan because Crabtree believes a significant amount of resources will be needed to increase tourism awareness of the upscale campsite, …

The Hospitality Industry’S Response To Climate Change: Is The Response Sufficient?, Paul Michael Carlson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore the serious consequences that global warming and climate change pose for the planet and its inhabitants, and to shed light on the hospitality industry’s contribution to the problem. The study further sought to examine whether the hospitality industry is doing their part in implementing “green” programs to combat its negative contribution to climate change.

Modeling Passive Solar Distillation Production In Las Vegas, Nevada, Noe I. Santos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A study has been performed to examine the effects of daily weather on the performance of commercial solar distillation basins (solar stills). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the long term performance of solar stills, to instrument two solar stills and record sub-hourly thermal properties, to evaluate existing heat transfer modeling methods for hourly production, and to create new models to predict daily production using experimental distillate production and local weather data by utilizing artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, and multivariate regression. A system dynamics model was also created to determine the required basin area and storage volume …

Fenestration Studies On Building Energy Using The Facade Evaluation Facility, Wendell Cocina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The project was developed to assess several types of facades and their influence on building energy, mainly focused on windows and other building fenestrations. Requirements for the facility are stated in this paper alongside corresponding solutions. The facility is designed to represent a section of a building façade. Experimenting on a wide range of fenestrations including windows with integrated PV elements was the primary prerequisite. The option of removable façade configurations was used and allowed testing specimens to be changed effortlessly. Instrumentation and data acquisition are discussed including calibration and uncertainty analysis. Investigation of the air conditioning unit was concluded …

Changing Climatic Conditions In The Colorado River Basin: Implications For Water Resources Management In The Las Vegas Valley, Srijana Dawadi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Climate change affects the water available in a region. It also affects the water demand, because of the increase in temperature. A system dynamics model was developed for the Colorado River Basin (CRB), operating at a monthly time scale, to assess the potential impacts of climate change on streamflow in the Colorado River and its subsequent impact on the water resources management in the Las Vegas Valley (LVV). The effect of climate change on streamflow was evaluated using 16 global climate model outputs for 3 emission scenarios, also referenced in the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report. Risk …

Developing An Employee Training Addendum For A Sustainable Hospitality Operation, Devonne A. Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As sustainability has become an important part of everyday life for American consumers, it is important that the hospitality industry do whatever it takes to meet their needs. Consumers expect businesses that they patronize to have policies in place for waste reduction, air and water conservation, and improved air quality and environment. Without the support of the front line employees, however, a hospitality operation has no chance to obtain sustainable success in these arenas. By creating addendums to previously existing employee handbooks, businesses are able to provide their employees with new policies and expectations of sustainable behaviors. This professional paper …

Development Of A Sustainable Water Resource Financing Mathematical Model For Donors And End-Users, Sahar Zavareh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rural villages and underdeveloped communities represent the largest group challenged by poor water supply and sanitation with inequalities in resources to adequately implement potential solutions and even more with their high risk level of financing, funding is particularly challenging for water projects. Innovative financing alone will not eliminate the burdens of rural villages and underdeveloped communities. The purpose of this thesis is to address the lack of sustainable water financing of water projects in rural areas using a novel framework of a mathematical model based on "system dynamics" using optimal feedback control theory to maximize the performance of a water …

The Green Movement In Hotels: Are College Students On Board?, Amy Walker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to see if environmentally friendly practices are a factor for college students when selecting a hotel. Another purpose of this study is to see if students would be willing to spend more for hotels who offer these environmentally friendly practices.

Telework Within The Bureau Of Reclamation Lower Colorado Region Office, Theresa Lee, Lynne Arnold, John Wagner, Elias Samorano, Anita Morgan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A team of researchers from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas were invited by management to observe, assess, and offer recommendations. It was determined by the research team that the first step to improving participation would be to observe the functional telework policy, compare and contrast it with the Department of the Interior standards, and offer recommendations to generate data necessary to develop an updated telework policy by management. The recommendations made by this group include creating an employee eligibility list, tracking actual participation by creating a renewal policy for employees choosing to telework. It is also recommended that a …

Climate Change In Rural Nevada: The Influence Of Vulnerability On Risk Perception And Environmental Behavior, Ahmad Safi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this research, I examine the impact of vulnerability on risk perception, stated willingness to adopt individual mitigation behavior, and support for climate change mitigation policies. My major research question is, "Does vulnerability to climate change increase risk perception, encourage more energy-efficient individual behavior, and enhance support for climate change mitigation policies?" But to understand the role of vulnerability I also pursue answers to questions regarding its three components: Physical vulnerability; sensitivity and adaptive capacity. I investigate the following sub-questions:

• Do physical vulnerability, and sensitivity to climate change increase risk perception, encourage more energy-efficient individual behavior, and enhance support for …

An Empirical Comparison Of Life Cycle Cost Of Green School Buildings And Non-Green School Buildings, Nitisha Pushpala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the major economic concerns today of the world is reduction of energy consumption because of depleting energy sources in the world. The construction sector in the United States is also contributing in reducing the energy consumption and construction cost of the buildings by constructing cost and energy efficient buildings with energy efficient materials and techniques. The U.S Department of Energy introduced the Building Technologies Program that develops techniques, tools and technologies for making buildings more energy efficient. Other private bodies like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council …

Planning For Building-Integrated Agriculture In Las Vegas, Robert Vralsted

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

High food prices, concern about food nutrition and safety, and an awareness of commercial farming's environmental impact have generated a renewed interest in sustainable urban agriculture. Advances in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) have made it possible to grow food virtually anywhere in a much more sustainable manner than traditional field-based agriculture. Locating and planning urban farms using retrofitted existing building stock to maximize food production and ease of distribution in Las Vegas requires consideration of multiple barriers related to geography, economics, and the built environment. Consideration of these factors in the planning process informs the design of a successful BIA …

Identifying Green Meetings In The Hospitality Industry, Shin Yi (Felicity) Chiou

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to identify what constitutes green meetings in the hospitality industries with special attentions on the applications of modern technologies and marketing strategies. This professional paper will search and collect the related literature reviews and existent practices with green ideology in hospitality to clarify the myth and difficulties of being green and help the readers or potential advocates better understand green meetings and adopt them.

Sustainability’S Correlation To Profit, Cheryl Annissa Drummond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sustainability and its correlation to profits in hospitality institutions is the subject of this paper. The lack of knowledge about sustainability and the benefits of sustainable practices are discussed. The evaluation of a GreenSeal (2010) Bronze certification G46-Restaurant audit is also examined. Research includes the review of industry experts’ findings on the subject and the social costs and benefits are evaluated based on the goal of economic, ecological, and social sustainability.

Activeion Ionator Exp, Linda Straker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The case study was conducted to determine the effects of the cleanliness of the guest rooms and the effects to the hotels bottom line in implementing Activeion’s Ionator EXP as a new cleaning method to be used in the hotel guest rooms by the room attendants as opposed to the traditional cleaning method using 5 different cleaning chemicals to clean the guest rooms. The Ionator EXP is a chemical-free cleaning system. It is a hand held cleaning spray bottle unit that holds, cleans, and sanitizes with water. The Ionator EXP uses ionization, electricity and oxygen to clean.

The study included …

Evaluating The Energy And Carbon Footprint Of Water Conveyance System And Future Water Supply Options For Las Vegas, Nevada, Eleeja Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Water production requires the use of energy to transport water from distant locations, pump groundwater from deep aquifers and treat water to meet stringent drinking water and wastewater regulations. Energy production based on its source involves the emission of greenhouse gases also known as carbon footprint, which is the leading cause of global warming and climate change. Because of growing concerns of global warming due to these emissions, water providers are required to analyze the energy and associated carbon footprint of existing water production facilities and future water supply options. A system dynamics model is developed to estimate the energy …

A Study On Eco-Friendly Merchandise In A Resort Retail Environment, Lindsey C. Patrick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to determine consumer purchasing habits of ecofriendly apparel in a retail resort environment. In order to find the rationale behind purchasing decisions, this study measured sales and survey responses based on the choice of two tee shirt options, eco-friendly tee shirts and regular cotton tee shirts. The survey was given to all customers purchasing these tee shirts in order to determine specific demographic information as well as their personal opinions on eco-friendliness, and willingness to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. Due to a lack of previous research in this field, this study is …

An Investigation Of Sustainable Environmental Practices And Consumer Attitudes & Behaviors Toward Hotel Bathroom Amenities, Edward James Bobbett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the 1980s hotel operators became concerned with greening and sustainability. It was at this time the hospitality industry began focusing on energy efficiency and the sustainable development of tourism (Chan & Lam, 2001; Welford, Ytterhus, & Eligh, 1999). Since then, a global trend has emerged as hotels introduce programs to reduce the amount of resources used and the overall environmental impact they have on the planet, or their carbon footprint. The hospitality industry has introduced programs such as recycling in both the front and back of the house, energy-efficient lighting, towel re-use programs, linen exchange programs, Green Certifications, and …

Technology Enhancement In Hotel Guestroom, Chee Wah Peter Too

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This is an exploratory research paper looking on various types of technology, facilities enhancement and devices adopted by hoteliers for their guestrooms to meet the ever increasing demand and expectations from their guests. This paper also explores the technologies and devices that owners use to leverage on business sustainability for their operations. As part of the corporate social responsibility, hotel owners are exploring the opportunities to increase these activities through the use of modern technology and devices to reduce damage to the environment such as using energy saving devices in their properties. Business and leisure travelers who are environmentally conscious …

Wind Flow Modeling For Wind Energy Analysis Of The Nellis Dunes Area In Nevada, Upendra Rangegowda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A wind energy analysis of the Nellis Dunes area in Nevada was conducted. A DEM file which contains the elevation data was used to generate the surface model and to create a 3-D mesh of the region. Local meteorological tower data collected for a period of one year was used to generate the diagnostic initial wind fields. Upper level wind fields were created using a surface boundary layer technique along with linear interpolation of the tower level wind fields. The vertical components of the velocities were adjusted using the equation of continuity. Mass consistent 3-D wind fields were then calculated …

Perception Of Ecological Risk To Water Environments And How It Affects Water Consumption And Water Resource Management In Southern Nevada, Tanju Kiriscioglu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Climate is harsh in southern Nevada where there is (and has been) a drought alert in effect for over a decade now (Kerr, 2007; Southern Nevada Water Authority, 2009). Las Vegas Valley is a major center of population in the region (1.9 million people), receiving only 4.5 inches of average annual precipitation yet in need of securing more water resources in the near future (SNWA, 2009). Water resource management in southern Nevada is a challenge, especially when 90% of the area’s water needs are met by a single source, the Colorado River, the flow rates of which have been in …

Earthy Bride, Melissa S. Foerster

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There are nearly 2.5 million couples getting married in the United States each year (Harrison, 2008, pg. xi). That breaks down to more than 6,300 weddings in a single day. The average wedding in the United States “produces 63 tones of CO2 and 400-600 pounds of trash” and therefore, newlyweds are creating over 3,500,000 pounds of trash in a single at their weddings (Harrison, 2009, ¶ 2)! The green movement is on the rise and wedding industry needs to implement it to meet new demands. In order to do people need to be informed of the importance, benefits and savings …

An Exploratory Study On Energy Consumption Of Energy Star And Non-Energy Star Homes, Prajakta Kulkarni

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The reduction of energy consumption is one of the economic necessities in the United States due to depleting energy sources in the world. The construction industry is stepping forward to reduce the energy consumption of buildings by efficient designs or by constructing buildings with energy efficient materials and features. In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) introduced the Energy Star Program to promote energy efficient products with the same or improved services. According to the EPA, Energy Star homes, which use these products, will consume 20 to 30 percent less energy than non-Energy Star …

The Integration Of Biomimicry Into A Built Environment Design Process Model: An Alternative Approach Towards Hydro-Infrastructure, Timothy Lee Albertson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current methods and processes that support the planning, design and construction of a sustainable built environment include ambiguous principles (Roseland 2000), lack feedback loops (Van Bueren and Jong 2007) and lack a common language between disciplines (Brandon et al 1997). As a result of 3.8 billion years of "research and development" (evolution), nature provides a set of design blueprints that may be used to guide us to create elegant, sustainable, and innovative designs for human technologies (Benyus 1997). The field of biomimicry analyzes nature's best ideas and adapts them for human use (Benyus 1997). The built environment could benefit from …

The Impact Of Individual Decision Making On Campus Sustainability Initiatives, Aurali Ella Dade

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) have increasingly committed to become more sustainable in recent years. Despite this commitment, academic publications in the sustainability field assert that progress has been slower at IHEs than expected and that most IHEs have found sustainability initiatives difficult to implement. Comprehensive sustainability initiatives require cooperation from a broad set of constituents with diverse and sometimes conflicting goals. Creating a sustainable IHE also requires changes in both physical infrastructure and individual behavior. Any number of institutional factors can advance or limit progress towards these objectives.

Previous investigations have assessed individual case studies, compared IHEs in a …

Assessing The Effect Of Simulation Models On Systems Learning In An Introductory Environmental Science Course, Heather J. Skaza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence within the systems dynamics community supporting the use of systems simulations in the classroom to improve student understanding, there is little published, controlled, experimental research. This paper describes the results of a paired experiment testing the effect of using system dynamics simulations to increase systems understanding in an introductory environmental science course. We believed that the students using the systems simulations would demonstrate a greater systemic understanding of environmental issues than those who did not.

We conducted an experiment during the fall semester of 2009, with 304 students enrolled in four sections of …