The present study analyzes the correlation between the optimal angle for a fixed Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) system and the latitude of the system's site as measured in degrees according to estimates made with PVSYST 3.41 software. Calculations were made for a BIPV south orientated...

During the last decades, the photovoltaic (PV) modules and their associated architectural materials are increasingly being incorporated into the construction of the building envelope such as façade, roof and skylights in the urban centers.

This paper explores people׳s preferences for a Built in Photovoltaic (BIPV) renewable energy system to be integrated into housing construction. A novel methodology was developed, to study the case of Northern Cyprus, for better understanding of possibilities that abound in BIPV integration. The...

Along with advances in urban state-owned enterprise reform, fast growth of private sector and changes in the wage structure, earnings inequality in urban China has been increasing. Using data from the 1988 and 2007 waves of the urban household survey conducted by China Household Income Project,...

In 2007, China launched a subsidized voluntary public health insurance program, the Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance, for urban residents without formal employment, including children, the elderly, and other unemployed urban residents. We estimate the impact of this program on health care...

We use household surveys from 1995, 2002, and 2007 to examine how changes in job structure contributed to China's rising urban wage inequality, considering three job characteristics: occupation, industry, and firm ownership. The explanatory power of job structure for wage inequality increased...

This paper discusses the current situation facing rural female migrant workers in urban China. It is the contention of the author that grassroots NGOs show very real promise as one source of support for such women. These workers, in spite of their immeasurable contribution to the country's...

China has been experiencing rapid urbanization since the reform and open policy launched in 1978, leading to the growth of urban water demands and aggravating water scarcity especially in the new millennium. Accordingly, water resources previously used for agriculture and environmental systems...

China contains one-fifth of the world's ageing population. It has been estimated that a total number of 33 million older adults have suffered activities of daily living (ADL) deficits, which consists of about 19% of the total ageing population. To date, a national long-term care policy is not in...

This paper aims to identify and characterize the Chinese urban middle class. We propose to improve the description of the middle class using an innovative approach combining an economic approach (based on income) and a sociological approach (based on education and occupation). The empirical...