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CORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
INSTITIÚID TEICNEOLAÍOCHTA CHORCAÍ
Semester 2 Examinations 2010/
Module Title: Sustainability Engineering
Module Code: INTR
School: Mechanical & Process Engineering
Programme Title: Bachelor of Engineering in Sustainable Energy Technology – Year 4 Certificate in Environmental & Energy Engineering – Year 1
Programme Code: ESENT_8_Y EENEN_8_Y
External Examiner(s): Dr. E. Coyle, Mr. R. Linger
Internal Examiner(s): Mr. N.B. Duffy
Instructions: Answer Question 1 (60 marks) and any TWO other questions (each 20 marks)
Duration: 2 Hours
Sitting: Summer 2011
Requirements for this examination: Answer books
Note to Candidates: Please check the Programme Title and the Module Title to ensure that you have received the correct examination paper. If in doubt please contact an Invigilator.
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Q1. Answer any FOUR (4) of the following parts:
(a) Discuss the argument that the business management models known as Fordism and Taylorism inhibit innovation. (b) Discuss: “big companies are less able to innovate than small companies”. (c) Discuss how “S” curves are associated with innovation diffusion and performance improvement. (d) You are recruited by a small, but eager to grow, company manufacturing products for the renewable energy market. You are asked to suggest routes whereby the company may discover relevant innovations it may explore – what would you propose? (e) Discuss the stages in adoption of an innovation and the steps that may be taken to accelerate adoption. (f) Discuss how social capitalism influences innovation (60 marks)
Q2. (a) Discuss what is meant by “scoping” in the context of the Environmental Impact Assessment of a project? (8 marks) (b) Duffy Building Products Ltd is a company in the construction industry. It started as a company manufacturing timber windows and doors and sawing and planning timber into appropriate sizes. From this it extended into plastic windows and doors and production of prefabricated roof trusses. Through sound business management and astute investments, the company has developed into the prefabricated wooden-framed housing market, using timber grown in its own forests, dried and cut in its own sawmills, all on the one site on the outskirts of a provincial town. Faced now by a major downturn in the construction sector, it must seek improved efficiency to reduce costs. It has realised that it is producing a large quantity of combustible waste, e.g. forestry thinnings, waste from planing, off-cuts from the manufacture of the frames, windows, etc and faulty products returned from the building sites. It now proposes to burn this waste in a combined heat and power plant. Using the above limited description as a basis and following a systematic approach identify and assess the environmental impacts. (12 marks)
Q3. (a) Describe the meaning of “Social Responsibility” for a business. (8 marks) (b) Discuss the benefits to a company in being socially responsible. (12 marks)
Q4. (a) Discuss how activity based costing differs in its allocation of overheads and how this is beneficial for environmental management. (8 Marks) (b) Discuss the financial costs that have arisen from BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster and what lessons, in terms of environmental economics, may be drawn? (12 Marks)
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