Focused Practice

I. Answer the following questions:

1. How are we altering the environment?

2. What are the consequences of the human-caused alterations?

3. What can contribute to our understand8ing of how ecosystems function?

4. How can mathematicians contribute to this understanding?

5. What purposes do models in ecology serve?

6. When was the use of spatial models in ecology expanded?

II. Analyse the grammar structures underlined in the above text.

III. Speak on:

1. Human-caused alterations of the environment.

2. Models in ecology.

3. Computer simulations in spatial ecology.

Unit 48 Grammar: The ing– and ed–forms (usage) Word List:

1. workstation	цех
2. automated energy accounting system	система автоматизированного подсчета расходуемой энергии
3. supply grids	система подачи электроэнергии, сети
4. computer interface	(здесь) использование компьютеров
5. workstation	(здесь) производитель энергии
6. billing	(здесь) плата за использование электроэнергии, подсчет электроэнергии
7. beyond the control of	вне контроля, бесконтрольность
8. economic feasibility	экономическая выполнимость, реализуемость
9. reduced tariff	уменьшенный, сниженный тариф
10. electric meter	электрический счетчик
11. to pay back	окупаться
12. due to	из-за, благодаря

Energy Saving Technologies in Hospitals

Inevitable growth of energy tariffs due to political, economic and environmental reasons makes it impossible for any enterprise or institution (including health care establishments) to operate efficiently without a detailed account of consumed energy resources in billing purposes.

In Russia most industrial enterprises were equipped with electric meters. However, for reasons of supplier’s convenience, such meters were often installed in the supplier’s territory and thus measured losses of energy in supply grids, which were beyond control of the consumer. As a result, the consumer could not analyze his consumption in real time. Today, most industrial consumers have their own electric meters used for billing, while losses in supply grids are taken into account by electricity tariffs.

Such measures as installation of electric meters in separate buildings and facilities, production in other areas or at major power consumers inside hospitals, do not only allow detailed analysis of their energy consumption patterns, but also facilitate involvement of hospital management and operators of equipment.

Introduction of reduced night tariffs in the Sverdlovsk region (50% of normal tariffs) necessitates installation of two-tariff meters and further, after an appropriate analysis, will make it necessary to shift some loads to night hours. These loads will include major consumers of electricity, which are not immediately linked to the treatment of patients (sterilisation equipment, laundry, etc.).

Considerable opportunities are associated with automated account of energy consumption and introduction of meters with computer interface. By linking meters to a workstation, it becomes possible to check optimal energy consumption patterns in real time and correct them in order to bring the amount of consumed energy to a pre-determined level. Although in general automated energy accounting systems are paid back in larger companies within a year, their installation can only be recommended after analysing its economic feasibility.