• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.128-136
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• 2021

It is generally known that a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) consumes immense energy even if it can produce energy. With an aim to increase the energy independence rate of WWTP from 3.5% in 2010 to 50% in 2030, the Korean government has invested enormous research funds. In this study, cost-effective operating alternatives were investigated by analyzing the energy efficiency and economic feasibility for biogas and power generation using new and renewable energy. Based on the US EPA Energy Conservation Measures and Korea ESCO projects, energy production and independence rate were also analyzed. The main energy consumption equipment in WWTP is the blower for aeration, discharge pump for effluent, and pump for influent. Considering the processes of WWTP, the specific energy consumption rate of the process using media and MBR was the lowest (0.549 kWh/㎥) and the highest (1.427 kWh/㎥), respectively. Energy-saving by enhancing anaerobic digester efficiency was turned out to be efficient when in conjunction with stable wastewater treatment. The result of economic analysis (B/C ratio) was 2.5 for digestive gas power generation, 0.86 for small hydropower, 0.49 for solar energy, and 0.15 for wind energy, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that the energy independence rate could be enhanced by installing energy production facilities such as solar and small hydropower and reducing energy consumption via the replacement of high-efficiency operating.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.40-52
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• 2022

This study analyzed the amount of carbon dioxide reduction and economic benefits of detailed processes of CO₂ 6,000 tons plant facilities with mineral carbonation technology using carbon dioxide and coal materials emitted from domestic circulating fluidized bed combustion power plants. Coal ash reacted with carbon dioxide through carbon mineralization facilities is produced as a complex carbonate and used as a construction material, accompanied by a greenhouse gas reduction. In addition, it is possible to generate profits from the sales of complex carbonates and carbon credits produced in the process. The actual carbon dioxide reduction per ton of complex carbonate production was calculated as 45.8 kgCO₂eq, and the annual carbon dioxide reduction was calculated as 805.3 tonCO₂, and the benefit-cost ratio (B/C Ratio) is 1.04, the internal rate return (IRR) is 10.65 % and the net present value (NPV) is KRW 24,713,465 won, which is considered economical. Carbon mineralization technology is one of the best solutions to reduce carbon dioxide considering future carbon dioxide reduction and economic potential.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.120-129
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• 2016

The user cost is an important analysis item which should be considered together with life-cycle of facility, administrator cost and discount rate in LCCA for efficient asset management of SOC facilities. Especially, a significant delay cost occurs often for users in the road field due to a work zone for cleaning and maintenance, and in such case, the administrator should consider the administrator cost as well as the user cost for more rational decision making. However, the user cost has not been considered in most decision making steps until recently and relevant studies also have not been carried out actively. In this study, the methodology to estimate the user cost and delay cost required in the decision making step using the traffic flow model and the direct benefit estimation model in the traffic facility investment evaluation guideline is suggested. And, the traffic flow model was estimated on 4 national highway sections where maintenance was actually carried out in 2014 using VISSIM and, the user cost and the delay cost were estimated based on the suggested methodology. The analysis result showed that the average user cost of $17,569,000KRW/km{\times}day$ occurred on Section A with approximately 30,000 AADT before a work zone occurred, and in case the first lane was blocked for maintenance, the delay cost of $10,193,000KRW/km{\times}day$ (158%) on average occurred additionally. The delay cost of $1,507,000KRW/km{\times}day$ (115%) and $1,985,000KRW/km{\times}day$ (119%) occurred on Sections B and D with approximately 20,000 AADT respectively and the delay cost of $262,000KRW/km{\times}day$ (105%) occurred on Section C with approximately 10,000 AADT. This result of this study was estimated based on the simulation of traffic flow model so that there is a limitation in its actual application. A study ot develop a highly appropriate model using actual observation data and improve the possibility to apply it through the verification using the simulation will be necessary in future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.23 no.1 s.29
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• pp.11-21
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• 1990

This study refers to the problem of long-term inpatient flow in a general hospital. In this study, a queueing simulation model was developed for the two departments in the hospital with a homogeneous case mix and relatively many long-term inpatients in order to increase the turnover rate and hospital charges. Before the simulation n, the model was verified by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The following results were generated by three alternative models of the special bed policies. 1. Alternative I : When long term inpatients were admitted to the wards belonging to departments A and B without transfer to other departments and special beds, the average turn-over rate decreased by 2-4% and the average hospital charges decreased by 70 million won. 2. Alternative II : When long-term inpatients were transferred to department C but the transfer of wards was determined by department C in order of clinical need, the average turnover rate increased by 4-13% but the average hospital charges decreased by 30 million won. This result was not greatly different from the present state. 3. Alternative III : When long-term inpatients were transferred to the special wards and department C simultaneously, the increase in the average turnover rate and hospital charges was equivalent to the increase of two beds in the special wards. When the special wards were allocated 16 beds, the average turnover rate of departments A and B increased by about 55% and 20% respectively. Also, the hospital charges increased by about 0.44 billion won. As a result, transfer to department C and the use of 16 beds in the special wards for long-term inpatients of departments A and B is expected to maximize the hospital revenue. However, as the above special bed policy can not increase the turnover rate above 60%, there is a need for a more comprehensive policy to further increase the rate. The development of an elaborate model should include the number of long-term inpatients in all clinical departments, the special wards system or an increase of hospital beds to handle admission needs, and the resources of the hospital by department. When the alternatives are evaluated, a cost-benefit analysis in addition to the turnover rate and the hospital charges should be considered.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.421-430
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• 2014

The greenhouse gas emission generated by idling vehicles is a critical issue in the greenhouse gas reduction from the transportation sector. Recently, the mandatory application of the Idle Stop and Go (ISG) for buses, trucks and taxis is in the process of legislation. Focusing on the regulation is about to apply to passenger cars, this study analyzed the quantitative economic effects of the ISG installation by passenger car types in Seoul metropolitan area to support proper policy making. The benefit cost ratio of ISG installation on commercial passenger car of Seoul is the most effective, calculated as 8.55. Accordingly, the amount of 660 liters (per year per vehicle) of fuel and 1,606 kg (per year per vehicle) of $CO_2$ could be reduced. The results of this study might be used as an index for judgment of policy such as determining appropriate subsidy for ISG installation on passenger cars.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.297-314
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• 2012

This study investigates the stigma effect of unwelcomed facilities on apartment prices through multiple regressions based on hedonic price method. The areas studied are Sang-gye Jugong 7, 9, 10 apartment complexes. The facilities analyzed are the Chang-dong Electric Subway Depot and the Do-bong Driver's License Agency. The factors studied include the environmental variable (the elapsed time since the announcement of the re-location of these facilities), the view commanding, the distance from Chang-dong Depot, the distance from Do-bong Driver's License Test Course, the distance from neighboring facilities (subway stations, schools, parks and so on), the floor and each dwelling's exclusive space. The data used are 2,822 sales which have been collected since January 1, 2006. The facts found are as follows; first, the view commanding and the distance from the unwelcomed facilities are statistically significant. second, the environmental variable, 'days' turns out to have a positive (+) and a negative (-) significant relationship with the dependent variable, 'price', in period II and period IV respectively. This implies that the stigma effect is real. third, there are significant differences in the influence on the apartment prices among the independent variables according to time. fourth, the stigma effect is estimated as 33,686,920 Korean won in the case of the apartments which have the view commanding and 30,311,844 won in the other case before the global economic crisis. This effect seems to decrease to 22,085,078 won after the crisis. These facts suggest that stigma effects could be considered as one of the benefits in the cost-benefit analysis of Chang-dong Depot re-location project to produce somewhat higher NPV or B/C ratio.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.71-92
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• 2013

Unlike general public investment projects, when it comes to environmental public investment projects, there is a gap between those who pay the costs, and those who receive the benefits. This is because of the long term nature of environmental investments, which entails that the majority of the costs are paid by the current generation, while the benefits are reaped by future generations. Because of this, when the social discount rate is set at a standard, singular rate, an issue of relative underestimation of the benefits reaped by future generations may occur during the analytic process. This paper begins with the recognition of this problem, and attempts to estimate a suitable social discount rate that can be applied to environmental investment projects. Taking into account recent economic situations, the social discount rate is currently being estimated at between 2.9 ~ 4.9%. Also, this paper used preliminary feasibility studies that took place so far, to analyze the standard pattern of benefit generation. This revealed that alterations in social discount rates can bring significant changes in economic feasibility test results. Simulation results showed that roughly 6% of B/C ratios could be increased by 1%p. resulting in a decrease in social discount rates. Also if we use hyperbolic discount rates, instead of using the current singular rate, there would be a meaningful increase in the benefits for the future generation.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.235-241
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• 2014

There are many traffic problems in a city such as parking, traffic jam caused by traffic induction facility. Therefore it is essential to demand for traffic demand management to building's owner whose building location causes traffic induction. According to the 90s traffic policy, government collects fee for traffic induction facility through traffic policy management and they encourage the building owner to join reduction of traffic jam program by reduction of traffic induction fee. However there are not many buildings owner joined this program because the program is not ghat beneficial. For example, if government set out parking guidance system (part of parking demanding system) in a city, it will reduce to 20% of traffic induced contributions but t can be used only once a year, so it is not efficient to used even it is valuable for about 10 years. In particular, according to the economic efficiency analysis, evaluate economically as net present value (NPV) to 2,160.44 million won, ratio of benefit/cost (B / C) to 2.44 during 10 years. Therefore this research will find out what is necessary for parking guidance system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.102-110
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• 2019

The shipbuilding and offshore plant industry of Korea is important and leads Korea's economic growth, designated as the 1st to 4th export items in Korea in terms of export contribution over the period from 2011 to 2015. This study proposes ways to improve the national competitiveness of Korean shipyards in the global offshore drilling market by reviewing a business model for providing an integrated offshore drilling commissioning service in Korea. This commissioning service model, which was attempted in 2014, was reviewed, and a new proposed business model for overcoming the limitations of the previous model and activating further business was evaluated. As a result of an economic evaluation, it was found that a 150-meter water depth model is economically more effective. As the number of integrated commissions increased from 2 to 5 times per year, NPV, IRR and B/C ratios increased and the fee per use decreased. Therefore, for offshore drilling facilities constructed and delivered in Korea, it will be necessary to encourage integrated offshore commissioning.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.3B
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• pp.271-281
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• 2008

To determine the flood protection elevation (FPE) in urban built-up areas, this study examines four possible methods: using the highest flood elevation in the past, extending base flood elevations of nearby watercourse to inland, and two simulation methods of inland flood under the same rainfall used in the watercourse planning nearby. According to the case study of the Jang-An Drainage Area, Seoul, the highest flood elevation in the past and simulation results of inland flood under the same rainfall in the watercourse planning nearby tend to get similar results, while extending base flood elevations of nearby watercourse to inland shows much higher elevations than other results. Meanwhile, cost-benefit analysis, when regulating residential/commercial uses below the FPE by each of four methods, suggest that planners need to consider carefully the economic feasibility of FPE used to choose appropriate methods.