John Turnpenny

Novel ventilation cooling system for reducing air conditioning in buildings. Part I: Testing and theoretical modelling

A latent heat storage unit incorporating heat pipes embedded in phase change material (PCM) is developed and tested for a novel application in low energy cooling of buildings. A one-dimensional mathematical model of the heat transfer from air to PCM is presented to allow sizing of a test unit. Details of the construction and testing of one heat pipe/PCM unit in a controlled environment are described, and measurements of heat transfer rate and melting times are presented. When the difference between air and PCM temperature was 5°C, the heat transfer rate was approximately 40 W over a melt period of 19 h. The heat transfer rate could be improved, and the phase change time shortened, with an alternative design for finning of the heat pipe inside the PCM.

Rationalising the Policy Mess? Ex Ante Policy Assessment and the Utilisation of Knowledge in the Policy Process

Procedures for the ex ante assessment of public policies are currently in vogue across the OECD. Their design is typically informed by a rational-instrumental model of problem solving, which assumes that knowledge is collected, evaluated, and then translated straightforwardly into ‘better policies’. But this model has been little affected by more than three decades of academic research which has demonstrated that the reality of everyday policy making is far messier. In this paper we analyse whether the uptake of ex ante assessment of policies is nonetheless capable of creating opportunities for policy deliberation and learning informed by new assessment knowledge. Drawing on an analysis of policy assessment procedures in three countries and the European Union, we find that there are several ways in which assessment knowledge is used in the policy process. Moreover, we argue that policy learning occurs despite, rather than because of, the instrumental design of new assessment procedures, which tends to act as a barrier to open deliberation and knowledge utilisation.

A FRAMEWORK FOR TOOL SELECTION AND USE IN INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Integrated assessment is rapidly developing in the scientific as well as policy community. Different methods, techniques and procedures (i.e., tools) are used in these assessments. Often, the choice for using certain tools in an assessment is not well founded. This paper presents a framework that scientifically underpins the role of, and thus choice for, tools within an integrated assessment. The framework identifies four phases in an integrated assessment, which are derived from the complementarities between various forms of integrated assessments. Tasks have to be done within each of the four phases. Seven types of tools with similar characteristics are matched to those tasks. The tool framework is a theoretical construct, developed whilst keeping in mind perceptions and suggestions from eventual users. It is a first step in the development of an overarching framework for finding appropriate tools for different tasks in an assessment, and justifying the use of those tools.

THE POLICY AND POLITICS OF POLICY APPRAISAL: EMERGING TRENDS AND NEW DIRECTIONS

Over the last 20 years, policy appraisal has emerged as a popular topic for discussion amongst policy-makers and academics alike. Much research effort has been devoted to developing tools and techniques to inform appraisal activities, but there has been, until recently, a distinct paucity of research on what might be termed the ‘policy and politics’ of policy appraisal. This is surprising, since policy appraisal is undoubtedly an important site of political behaviour, with its own institutions, instruments and policy actors. This paper takes stock of recent research on policy appraisal, draws out some common threads, and makes some suggestions for future research on what is a rapidly expanding field of European public policy analysis.

Why is integrating policy assessment so hard? A comparative analysis of the institutional capacities and constraints

Widely advocated as a means to make policy making more integrated, policy assessment remains weakly integrated in practice. But explanations for this shortfall, such as lack of staff training and resources, ignore more fundamental institutional factors. This paper identifies institutional capacities supporting and constraining attempts to make policy assessment more integrated. A comparative empirical analysis of functionally equivalent assessment systems in four European jurisdictions finds that there are wide-ranging institutional constraints upon integration. These include international policy commitments, the perception that assessment should support rather than determine policy, organisational traditions, and the sectorisation of policy making. This paper concludes by exploring the potential for altering these institutions to make policy assessment more integrated.

Novel ventilation system for reducing air conditioning in buildings. Part II: testing of prototype

The technology for the night-time cooling of buildings has been significantly improved with the development of a working prototype of a latent heat storage system. The system, introduced in a previous paper, incorporates heat pipes embedded in phase change material. An improved unit design is presented, and the design, construction and testing of the prototype is reported, including measurements of heat transfer rates. Heat transfer rates of 200 W have been observed, which is sufficient to ameliorate the effects of high summer temperatures. There are substantial cost and energy-saving benefits to the system, both compared to conventional air conditioning and other technologies such as cooled beams, and the system can easily be retro-fitted. It is recommended that further developmental work be carried out to produce a pre-production prototype.

Where Now for Post-Normal Science?: A Critical Review of its Development, Definitions, and Uses

‘‘Post-normal science’’ (PNS) has received much attention in recent years, but like many iconic concepts, it has attracted differing conceptualizations, applications, and implications, ranging from being a ‘‘cure-all’’ for democratic deficit to the key to achieving more sustainable futures. This editorial article introduces a Special Issue that takes stock of research on PNS and critically explores how such research may develop. Through reviewing the history and evolution of PNS, the authors seek to clarify the extant definitions, conceptualizations, and uses of PNS. The authors identify five broad areas of research on, or using, PNS which have developed over four decades. Their analysis suggests that the 1990s represent a symbolic watershed in the use of PNS terminology, when the concept was further developed and applied to highly complicated issues such as climate change. The authors particularly distinguish between uses of PNS as a normative prescription and as a practical method. Through this classification, they set out gaps and research questions arising. They then briefly summarize the Special Issue articles and consider their relationship to each other and the research questions raised by their analysis. They conclude by considering what the articles in this issue suggest for future theory building in PNS and related scholarship.

Proceeding in Parallel or Drifting Apart? A Systematic Review of Policy Appraisal Research and Practices

Policy appraisal has spread rapidly throughout the OECD and beyond, as has the associated academic literature. In this paper we present the findings of a systematic review of this literature. We assess the extent to which developments in academic research and in everyday appraisal practices have informed one other. While there are signs that policy appraisal research is moving away from the ‘technical–rational model’ of appraisal, both research and practice remain heavily informed by it. The review reveals that research and practice are interacting in subtle ways, but these fall well short of what is sought by advocates of more reflexive approaches. We systematically examine the exact pattern of research–practice interaction depicted in the literature and explore how this may change in the future.

Thermal balance of livestock. 1. A parsimonious model

A mathematical model based on the physics of heat transfer was developed to predict the components of heat loss from a homeothermic animal in relation to environmental conditions. The animals trunk was treated as three concentric insulating cylinders around a heat-generating core, representing the body tissue, coat and surrounding environment. The model also accounted for heat losses from appendages. The model inputs were the hourly meteorological data, parameters and/or variables of animal physiology, and the thermoregulatory responses of different species to environmental conditions. The heat loss components were calculated by iteration of the heat balance equations, assuming steady heat flow. For illustration, the heat balance of a sheep outdoors is predicted from hourly weather data.

The Challenge of Embedding an Ecosystem Services Approach: Patterns of Knowledge Utilisation in Public Policy Appraisal

The ‘ecosystem services approach’ (ESA) to policy making has refocused attention on how knowledge is embedded in policy. Appraisal has long been identified as an important venue for embedding, but suffers from well-known difficulties. This paper examines the extent to which an ESA appears in UK policy appraisal documents, and how far implementing an ESA via appraisal may encounter the same difficulties. A clear understanding of this is vital for interrogating claims that improving knowledge necessarily leads to more sustainable ecosystem management. The paper reports on the content of seventy-five national-level policy appraisals undertaken in the United Kingdom between 2008 and 2012. Only some elements of an ESA appear, with even the environment ministry failing to systematically pick up the concept, which is indeed subject to many of the familiar barriers to embedding environmental knowledge in appraisals. Policy initiatives attempting to institutionalise ecosystem values need to be conversant with these barriers.