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2022

26/07/2022

Solar panels are feeling the heat too: How heatwave temperatures are hampering solar power

This article originates from Euronews.net. https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/07/18/solar-panels-feel-the-heat-too-how-higher-temperatures-are-undermining-solar-power

26/07/2022

Street Tree Selection Guide

* This article originates from Greening, Landscape & Tree Management Section Development Bureau (https://www.greening.gov.hk/en/greening-landscape/right-plant-right-place/street-tree-selection-guide/index.html)

26/07/2022

長照機構的災害風險溝通及管理

[This article is only available in Chinese.]

原文轉載：創新照顧 (https://www.ankecare.com/article/1861-2022-03-22-01-46-15)

26/07/2022

Heatwaves and Fires Scorch Europe, Africa, and Asia

[本文只供英語版本]

*This article originates from Earth Observatory, NASA on 13 July 2022. (https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150083/heatwaves-and-fires-scorch-europe-africa-and-asia)

E-learning Platform

This page lists all of HKJCDPRI’s or our collaborating partners’ online learning resources, including Certificate-bearing e-Learning modules, webcasts and case studies. All resources listed here are freely and publicly available. We ask users to use them with respect and credit the authors as appropriate. You may have to log onto DPRI’s Moodle Platform in order to access some of the materials.

2022

26/07/2022

Solar panels are feeling the heat too: How heatwave temperatures are hampering solar power

This article originates from Euronews.net. https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/07/18/solar-panels-feel-the-heat-too-how-higher-temperatures-are-undermining-solar-power

By Giulia Carbonaro

Days of scorching sun are fuelling Europe’s grid with record-breaking amounts of solar power - but the current heatwave is actually bad news for solar panels.

In Germany, a record amount of electricity was generated by solar power on Sunday, while most of the country was placed under an excessive heat warning.

Even more solar power is expected to be generated in the coming days, as western Europe braces itself for a heatwave many countries have never seen before.

And yet these record-breaking amounts of solar power are far from what the country’s solar panels could have achieved if the temperatures had been a little lower.

While more solar-generated energy could be seen as a silver lining of what’s likely to be a “killer” heatwave, the heat is actually hampering solar panels.

Counter-intuitively, hotter, sunnier days do not equal more power, as rising temperatures actually hinder the capacity of solar panels to collect energy.

Blasting sun isn't necessarily good news for solar panels - not when that comes with scorching temperatures. - Copyright Canva

How does it work?

Solar panels absorb sunlight with their photovoltaic cells, with the photons soaked in by the panels knocking electrons loose from their atoms and forming an electrical circuit within the semiconductors of the panel, generating a flow of electricity.

Most solar panels are tested at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, an ideal temperature at which this process occurs within solar panels under optimal circumstances.

But above this temperature, no matter how bright the sun is shining, efficiency starts going south for the panels.

The heat causes an excessive number of the panel's electrons - the ones responsible for converting energy from the sun into electricity - to be excited, eventually reducing the panel’s generated voltage and its efficiency.

The impact is not minimal. High temperatures can decrease the efficiency of solar panels by 10 to 25 per cent, according to data shared by CED Greentech.

For every degree Celsius more reported by a solar panel, its efficiency drops by 0.5 percentage points, according to Solar.com.

Heatwave in Europe

Across western Europe, temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius.

Unprecedented temperatures are expected in the UK, a country where most houses do not have air conditioning installed. In much of southern Europe, firefighters are already fighting raging blazes sparked by the heat.

There are, obviously, thermal solar panels too, which would not be affected by the increased heat. But these are much rarer panels, especially in homes, and are considered less reliable in generating electricity.

As temperatures continue to rise in the western half of the continent, it’s not a given that the incoming sunny days will be bringing more record-breaking amounts of solar power.

Even though, as people turn to air conditioning to keep cool, demand for electricity is on the rise, renewable solar energy may not be the answer to meeting it.

26/07/2022

Street Tree Selection Guide

The Greening, Landscape, and Tree Management Section (GLTMS) in the Development Bureau (DEVB) of the HKSAR commissioned a Consultancy Study to rationalise and guide the selection of street trees in Hong Kong. The purpose is to improve the resilience of the Territory’s urban forest by maximising species diversity under the principle of “Right Tree, Right Place” to improve ecological health upstream and in turn, minimise tree risks downstream.

A number of trees planted in the past might have been suitable for a particular location at that time. Some trees, such as afforestation pioneer planting on slopes, have out-grown their compact urban environment or are reaching the end of their life-cycle and are no longer appropriate. As trees are gradually due for replacement, it presents opportunities for the adoption of sustainable landscape strategies and practices. The result is the Street Ecology Strategy for Hong Kong (the Study). It aims to provides a strategic framework for sustainable long-term management of our street trees in a holistic manner, and forms part of government’s overall efforts in supporting the Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP), the Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2030+ (CAP) and the Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030 (Hong Kong 2030+). The Study includes a Street Tree Selection Guide (the Guide). It is a practical reference tool to assist designers in selecting tree species suitable for different common streetscape typologies in the urban area1 of Hong Kong.

Policy Objective (Click below to enlarge)

This Study provides an analysis and evaluation of the current urban Hong Kong streetscape conditions and recommends a more diverse tree species list for different street types2. Methods of analysis include the overview of existing guidelines and ordinances, site observations, local experiences and valuable inputs from the landscape and arboriculture industry, relevant government departments and related disciplines.

The Study has found that the current Hong Kong roadside urban forest is dominated by a small range of 20 common tree species in large quantity and planted en-masse. Such homogenous planting or monoculture reduces plant diversity and make our urban forest more vulnerable to outbreaks of pests and diseases, and diminished soil quality. In response, 80 less commonly used but suitable tree species are recommended in the Guide to support a long term sustainable, healthy and resilient urban forest. Due to the scope and limitation of the Study, users are welcome to select other tree species not shortlisted using the same principles and methodology including the 20 common tree species, which are not in the Guide due to its abundance in stock. These commonly used species are however not encouraged to be widely planted as previously practised, to improve the vegetation diversity of our future urban forest.

The Guide is written for consultants, government works departments, professionals and practitioners, involved in street trees replacement and planting. To achieve a healthy and resilient urban forest, it recommends making reference to the 10-20-30 basic rule of plant diversity as a start, i.e. no more than 10% of any one species, 20% of any one genus and 30% of any one family. As roadside planting environment can be very different due to site specific landscape conditions such as narrow footpaths, underground utilities, microclimate, minimal air movement, etc., the Guide is not meant to be prescriptive. Professional advice from Landscape Architects and other relevant disciplines should be sought during the planning and design stages to ensure the overall street landscape as well as other supporting elements such as complementary vegetation community mixes (CVCM), tree pit details, structural soils or cells, drainage, below-ground infrastructure, etc. are duly taken into consideration.

Consolidated Summary of the Street Typology Selection Process (Click below to enlarge)

Figure 5-6 Consolidated Summary of the Street Typology Selection Process

The health of trees and vegetation starts with a favourable landscape from the outset to facilitate their subsequent maintenance. Designers and departments are encouraged to widely apply the Guide in the replacement and new street tree planting projects. With more practical applications of the shortlisted species, more experience can be developed to review and update the Guide. Users are encouraged to provide comments to the GLTMS so that continual improvements can be made for the future of our urban ecology.

1 For the purpose of this Study, urban area means built-up areas within the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.

2 Expressways, highways and trunk roads were excluded in the analysis as both are considered to have very specific requirements to be studied separately.

26/07/2022

長照機構的災害風險溝通及管理

[This article is only available in Chinese.]

原文轉載：創新照顧 (https://www.ankecare.com/article/1861-2022-03-22-01-46-15)

由於高齡者的感官能力、運動能力及循環呼吸等機能退化，導致在災害中的行動力與反應力較緩慢，因此高齡者被歸類為災害中的弱勢族群。而以高齡者作為服務對象之安養照護機構，其安全管理更應受到重視。

截至2018年11月，台灣安養機構近5年內已發生超過7起以上安全事故，至少造成百人以上傷亡，何種原因造成如此嚴重的安全問題？

災害風險管理及風險溝通的重要性

災害風險管理是將災害視為一種風險，深入了解災害的成因及頻率特性，並對災害後果多樣性與變異性可能產生的後果情境，進行充分掌握與評估，透過防災、減災和整備活動及措施，以避免、減輕或者轉移災害時帶來的不利影響。

管理作業應先針對機構本身的災害風險評估，充分了解並辨識所有災害風險因子，並根據系統化流程分析，評估所有災害因子風險，並依各風險的重要性與風險高低排序，找出風險最大的災害事件，或災害風險因子與情境，再衡量自身可使用的資源後，完成災害風險的管理計畫。

其次，事前經由風險辨識，確認出所有的利害相關者及其關係，並與利害相關者持續且反覆溝通對話，如此而言，風險溝通是極為重要的工作。

所以能夠事前進行調查評估，對於風險治理的關係者進行溝通，讓其瞭解具體的風險，第2階段是察覺風險，即進行風險評定，確認風險。再來理解風險，利害關係者和課題設定：風險理解，將需要檢討之範圍提出，進行課題設定，透過範圍內之討論整理複雜關係與結構。再來是思考對策的解決，這一階段要進行的是風險管理－計畫確認：參與者瞭解其責任和分工。

最後是具體行動，即實踐：對策和實踐方法。對於風險溝通原則包括瞭解對象；訊息個人化；訊息簡短清楚；訴諸對象價值觀；需求與社會規範；認同其的情緒；提供做得到行動方案；確認阻礙為何；強調好處；持續溝通支持；從最容易開始；找到被信任的訊息傳遞者等（如圖1）。

圖1、協助高齡者健康照顧機構安全之風險溝通階段圖

高齡者風險溝通的困難及挑戰

與高齡者進行風險溝通的注意事項，是高齡者面臨生理及心理狀態轉變，在溝通過程中必須考量轉變的型態，其主要原則必須維持同理心、尊重，以及關懷與接納。

同理心為透過理解高齡者思想與情感，讓訊息更符合高齡者需求，使高齡者更易於接受訊息內容；尊重則應信任高齡者，即使行為錯誤也不應直接否定，進而引發高齡者內在潛能；關懷與接納則為真誠與高齡者進行互動，對於高齡者的問題與福祉亦應如此。

此外，影響溝通因素包含生理面、心理面及環境面。生理因聽覺與視覺上退化產生影響，應以淺顯易懂的談話及文字進行溝通，談話應維持速度，語言及語調需符合長者的需要；文字表達可用顏色對比、字體放大等方式，使其容易辨識；心理受到思想與情緒影響，應交換意見尋找共識，並即時引證，隨時留意溝通對象的情緒，必要時加以紓緩。

為確保老人在機構內的安全，機構必須訂定標準作業程序與實施演習，縮短老人撤離災害現場的時間。王雅亭（2016）也曾提到居住於高齡高災社區之高齡者對於防災自救態度消極，又對政府防災管理感到不信任，顯示建構非正式救援網絡重要性，因此，強化社區裡高齡者的防災意識是重要的。

另也提出建立機構和社區之信賴關係，能夠讓機關資源讓其它人使用，建構社區防救災網絡。當災難來臨時，使社區透過老人福利機構的防災資源自給自足，提升高齡者遇災韌性（如圖2）。

圖2、長期照顧機構內災害風險管理能力建構之需求

26/07/2022

Heatwaves and Fires Scorch Europe, Africa, and Asia

[本文只供英語版本]

*This article originates from Earth Observatory, NASA on 13 July 2022. (https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150083/heatwaves-and-fires-scorch-europe-africa-and-asia)

In June and July 2022, heatwaves struck Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, as temperatures climbed above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in places and broke many long-standing records.

Heatwaves and Fires Scorch Europe, Africa, and Asia

July 13, 2022

The map above shows the surface air temperatures across most of the Eastern Hemisphere on July 13, 2022. It was produced by combining observations with a version of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) global model, which uses mathematical equations to represent physical processes in the atmosphere.

“While there is a clear pattern of an ‘atmospheric wave’ with alternating warm (redder) and cool (bluer) values in different locations, this large area of extreme (and record breaking) heat is another clear indicator that emissions of greenhouse gases by human activity are causing weather extremes that impact our living conditions,” said Steven Pawson, chief of the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

In Western Europe, which was already experiencing severe drought, the heatwave fueled fires that raged across Portugal, Spain, and parts of France. In Portugal, temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 13 in the town of Leiria, where more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) had burned. More than half of the country was on red alert as firefighters battled 14 active fires.

July 12, 2022

The above image shows the locations of fire detections in Portugal and Spain as observed by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite on July 12, 2022. The prominent fire detections west of Madrid include the town of Las Hurdes where more than 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) have burned.

In Italy, the record heat contributed to the July 3 collapse of a portion of the Marmolada Glacier in the Dolomites. The avalanche of snow, ice, and rock killed 11 hikers.

In the U.K., the Met Office issued extreme heat or amber warnings as temperatures were expected to continue to climb, possibly breaking all-time highs.

In North Africa, Tunisia has endured a heatwave and fires that have damaged the country's grain crop. On July 13 in the capital city of Tunis, the temperature reached 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking a 40-year record.

In Iran, temperatures remained high in July after reaching a scorching 52 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit) in late June.

In China, the summer has brought three heatwaves that have buckled roads, melted tar, and popped off roof tiles. The Shanghai Xujiahui Observatory, where records have been kept since 1873, recorded its highest temperature ever: 40.9 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 13, 2022. High humidity and dewpoints, along with warm overnight temperatures, created potentially deadly conditions.

“Such extreme heat has direct impacts on human health, as well as having other consequences, including these fires that are occurring now in Europe and Africa, and which have been rampant over the past few years in North America,” Pawson said.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using GEOS-5 data from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA GSFC and VIIRS day-night band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Story by Sara E. Pratt.