Financial Ratio Analysis (FRA) has been used for the evaluation of firm’s operating performance. However, these individual performance values calculated from FRA have their own different managerial deficiencies. The original Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) may fill this gap and may be used to...

Do socially responsible funds, as a whole, perform as well as the average of all mutual funds in their respective categories? This paper examines fund characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of all available socially responsible funds (SRFs) in the U.S. mutual fund industry over...

We find evidence that conflicts of interest are pervasive in the asset management business owned by investment banks. Using data from 1990 to 2008, we compare the alphas of mutual funds, hedge funds, and institutional funds operated by investment banks and non-bank conglomerates. We find that,...

Currently one of the most promising power solutions for remote rural areas and isolated islands which are far away from utility grid is the stand-alone solar photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy system or hybrid solar–wind power system. This paper presents the investigation results of a real...

Electricity generated using photovoltaic (PV) technology can only be economical if the PV modules operate reliably for 25–30 years under field conditions. In order to ensure such levels of reliability PV module undergo stringent qualification tests developed as per international standards by...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of accounting discretion in a principal-agent setting, wherein accounting information is used in performance evaluation. The agent may choose one from among several allowable accounting methods. However, limited audit resources allow...

The performance of a kind of shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) was demonstrated in the Testing and Demonstration Platform for Building Energy Research. The results indicate that the use of PCM could lower the indoor temperature fluctuation and slow the indoor temperature’s decline...

This paper analyses the performance and investment styles of internationally oriented Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) funds, domiciled in eight European markets, in comparison with characteristics-matched conventional funds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multi-country...

Under the dual pressures of an energy crisis and rising greenhouse gas emissions, biomass energy development and utilisation has become part of the national energy strategy in China. The last decade has witnessed a strong promotion of both centralised and decentralised bio-energy systems in...

Two diverse energy storage technologies, namely the compressed-air and hydrogen energy storage systems, are examined. In particular, a steady state analysis (IPSEpro simulation software) of four configurations of micro-CAES systems is conducted from the energetic and exergetic point of view. The...