Analysis of business models for delivering energy efficiency through smart energy services to the European commercial rented sector.

In this paper, we perform a comparative analysis of business models used by Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), suitable for the deployment of energy efficiency measures in the commercial rented sector across Europe. These models can effectively contribute to solving the split-incentive issue that arises in the rented building scenario. Some of them are obtained from their "traditional" counterparts, which do not consider the rented scenario, but just a bipartite agreement between an Energy Service Company and its client.

The Ring Fencing Mechanism: a case study of innovative self-financing approach for energy efficiency upgrades.

This paper introduces an enhanced energy auditing process including a ring-fencing mechanism for the selection of energy efficiency measures considering a multi-stage planning of the energy retrofitting project. The proposed ring-fencing approach enables SMEs to overcome the barrier of lack of capital for the implementation of energy efficiency measures by implementing first no-cost measures and only after that energy savings are accumulated considering the installation of low-cost, medium-cost and finally high-cost measures. The advantages of the proposed methodology are illustrated by means of three case studies, where a variety of energy efficiency measures were first identified throughout the auditing process involving three different SMEs, then most effective measures were selected and scheduled to be implemented according to a multi-annual plan while considering budget and operational constraints.

Engaging religious leaders to promote safe burial practices during the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak, Sierra Leone.

Objective: To quantify the potential impact of engaging religious leaders in promoting safe burial practices during the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone.

Methods: We analysed population-based household survey data from 3540 respondents collected around the peak of the outbreak in Sierra Leone, December 2014. Respondents were asked if in the past month they had heard an imam or pastor say that people should not touch or wash a dead body.

Homecare for sick family members while waiting for medical help during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: a mixed methods study.

Introduction: Caring for an Ebola patient is a known risk factor for disease transmission. In Sierra Leone during the outbreak in 2014/2015, isolation of patients in specialised facilities was not always immediately available and caring for a relative at home was sometimes the only alternative. This study sought to assess population-level protective caregiving intentions, to understand how families cared for their sick and to explore perceived barriers and facilitators influencing caregiving behaviours.