Scarcity

Summary

In economics, scarcity "refers to the basic fact of life that there exists only a finite amount of human and nonhuman resources which the best technical knowledge is capable of using to produce only limited maximum amounts of each economic good." If the conditions of scarcity didn't exist and an "infinite amount of every good could be produced or human wants fully satisfied ... there would be no economic goods, i.e. goods that are relatively scarce..." Scarcity is the limited availability of a commodity, which may be in demand in the market or by the commons. Scarcity also includes an individual's lack of resources to buy commodities. The opposite of scarcity is abundance. Scarcity plays a key role in economic theory, and it is essential for a "proper definition of economics itself".
"The best example is perhaps Walras' definition of social wealth, i.e., economic goods. 'By social wealth', says Walras, 'I mean all things, material or imm

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Carbon-based electrodes have been widely applied in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) because of their chemical inertness and compatibility with up-scalable techniques, signifying their solid potential for mass-production. The material scarcity and complexity of metal ore extraction further highlights that conventionally used noble metal electrodes cannot represent a sustainable option for back-contact in PSCs, while cells with carbon-based electrodes represent an excellent solution to these problems. However, their power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) still lag behind the traditionally processed cells with metal electrodes, resulting in a considerable efficiency gap. To overcome this issue, we propose the use of low-temperature carbon-based (LTCB) electrodes, which offer several key advantages in comparison to mesoscopic high-temperature treated ones: (1) larger choice of selective layers, (2) applicability to all perovskite crystallization methods, (3) compatibility with flexible substrates and (4) faster deposition process. In this review, we analyze numerous techniques to formulate the LTCB-paste and ways to deposit it on the cell stack which have been developed in order to improve the interfacial contact and electrode conductivity. Besides describing the current state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells with LTCB-electrodes, the most promising strategies to enhance the PCE of such photovoltaic (PV) devices are discussed. Overall, we emphasize that PSCs with a LTCB-electrode combine high device stability, low manufacturing costs and low environmental impact, while having options for pushing the efficiency of carbon-based PSCs closer to the record-breaking cells, all of which are vital in order to fulfill the true potential of perovskite PV.

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY2020

Scarcity Mitigation and Risk-Averse Clearing Model in the Swiss Reserve Market

Farzaneh Abbaspourtorbati

This paper presents a real-world application of stochastic programming in the Swiss hydro-based system. The seasonal hydrological conditions may cause insufficient market volume to an extent that security criteria (i.e., the criteria determining of reserve amount) may not be met. In this situations, the question arises to what extend the current pre-defined security criteria can be relaxed while respecting the current market properties. We provide a framework accounting for the trade-off between the expected procurement cost of reserves and security criteria. Additionally, this paper provides a risk-averse formulation of the current clearing model. The proposed approach is simulated using data of the Swiss reserve market to illustrate technical and economic aspects.

Ieee2016

In recent years, several methods have been developed which propose different freshwater use inventory schemes and impact assessment characterization models considering various cause-effect chain relationships. This work reviewed a multitude of methods and indicators for freshwater use potentially applicable in life cycle assessment (LCA). This review is used as a basis to identify the key elements to build a scientific consensus for operational characterization methods for LCA. This evaluation builds on the criteria and procedure developed within the International Reference Life Cycle Data System Handbook and has been adapted for the purpose of this project. It therefore includes (1) description of relevant cause-effect chains, (2) definition of criteria to evaluate the existing methods, (3) development of sub-criteria specific to freshwater use, and (4) description and review of existing methods addressing freshwater in LCA. No single method is available which comprehensively describes all potential impacts derived from freshwater use. However, this review highlights several key findings to design a characterization method encompassing all the impact pathways of the assessment of freshwater use and consumption in life cycle assessment framework as the following: (1) in most of databases and methods, consistent freshwater balances are not reported either because output is not considered or because polluted freshwater is recalculated based on a critical dilution approach; (2) at the midpoint level, most methods are related to water scarcity index and correspond to the methodological choice of an indicator simplified in terms of the number of parameters (scarcity) and freshwater uses (freshwater consumption or freshwater withdrawal) considered. More comprehensive scarcity indices distinguish different freshwater types and functionalities. (3) At the endpoint level, several methods already exist which report results in units compatible with traditional human health and ecosystem quality damage and cover various cause-effect chains, e.g., the decrease of terrestrial biodiversity due to freshwater consumption. (4) Midpoint and endpoint indicators have various levels of spatial differentiation, i.e., generic factors with no differentiation at all, or country, watershed, and grid cell differentiation. Existing databases should be (1) completed with input and output freshwater flow differentiated according to water types based on its origin (surface water, groundwater, and precipitation water stored as soil moisture), (2) regionalized, and (3) if possible, characterized with a set of quality parameters. The assessment of impacts related to freshwater use is possible by assembling methods in a comprehensive methodology to characterize each use adequately.

Springer-Verlag2013