Forschungs- und Transferzentrum Nachhaltigkeit Neuburg (ForTraNN)
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Social comparison feedback has been widely applied to encourage energy and water conservation, with the ultimate aim to protect ecosystems and the environment. Yet, the effectiveness of social comparison feedback varies. In this study, with 360 UK participants from Prolific, we conducted an online experiment based on a modified dictator game with multi-round purchasing decisions involving trade-offs between individual monetary payoff and real-world carbon offsets donation. A 2 × 3 between-subjects design was implemented, varying in the externality levels associated with the purchase (high versus low), and the type of feedback (self-feedback, social comparison feedback, and tangible emissions feedback – i.e. social comparison enriched with information relating environmental impacts to daily activity and nature). Furthermore, we measured several psychological traits of participants. Our findings show that social comparison interventions are only effective under certain circumstances. Both interventions with social comparison are more effective in the low-externality context. Furthermore, the effect of tangible emissions feedback is moderated by individuals’ tendency to conform to specific social norms and compete with others. Compared to standard social comparison feedback, social comparison feedback enriched with tangible emissions information is overall more effective. We highlight the importance of tailoring social comparison interventions to local environmental and cultural contexts.
The further expansion of renewable energies in Germany requires flexible consumers to balance fluctuations in electricity production from variable renewable energies. Cold storage warehouses, due to their inherent storage capacity and widespread use, are well-suited for integrating more renewable energies. The potential of cold storage warehouses is often viewed in isolation and not in conjunction with the cold chain’s upstream and downstream processes. By adjusting the temperatures within the processes, the individual links in the cold chain can be made flexible. To assess the effects of flexibilization on emissions and electricity costs, thermodynamic models of the individual links in the cold chain and of a yogurt pallet are developed and linked together. Due to temperature fluctuations in the products resulting from the flexibilization, emission evaluations must be considered throughout the cold chain. Results of the simulation for the study period show that emissions reductions and electricity cost savings can be achieved in all three links when they are made flexible. However, the savings vary in magnitude. Only minor savings can be achieved in the cooling tunnel. The greatest potential for savings is in refrigerated transport, if deeper cooling occurs in the process before, i.e., in the cold storage warehouse.
Which farmers adopt solar energy? A regression analysis to explain adoption decisions over time
(2023)
Farmers can play an important role in the critical renewable energy transition by generating solar energy. Farmers' adoption of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system results from a complex and interdependent array of technical, political, social, and economic factors. Under the regime of a covenant on energy and greenhouse gas emissions, the evolution of perceptions and responses to solar PV was monitored for a panel of 279 Dutch farmers in a unique series of surveys in 2015, 2018, and 2020. We observed that the willingness to reduce greenhouse gas emissions steadily increased from 35% of the farmers in 2015 to 82% in 2020, while the perceptions toward solar PV adoption among Dutch farmers fluctuated over this period. We examined Dutch farmers’ determinants of solar PV uptake through multiple regression analyses. Consistent with the literature, our results indicate that behavioural intentions, the perceived importance of renewable energy, and farmers’ innovativeness are the most critical determinants for solar PV adoption. Many farmers mentioned the decreased payback time as the most crucial motive to adopt solar PV. We argue that a stable long-term policy for renewable energy, as implemented in the Netherlands, creates attractive economic conditions for solar PV adoption. At the same time, the payback time is a critical factor in shaping farmers’ intentions and behaviour. We recommend more extensive research using panel datasets of farmers, while we also acknowledge the difficulty of obtaining high-quality panel data, which underlines the uniqueness of our analysis.
Ressourceneffizienz in der Produktion - ein Vergleich zwischen Gießen und Additiver Fertigung
(2021)
With the increasing number of electric vehicles in the transport sector, the relevance of accurate energy and power demand predictions of electromobility is growing. Thereby, different vehicle functions, especially heating and air conditioning and vehicle automation, have a significant influence. In accordance with the upcoming Euro-7 emissions standard, the energy consumption for heating even has to be contained in the manufacturer’s consumption data in the future. To increase the accuracy of energy and power demand predictions of electromobility, the energy consumption of vehicle functions such as heating and air conditioning as well as the energy savings through vehicle automation must be considered.
This paper presents approaches for modeling and simulation the energy consumption of heating, air conditioning and vehicle automation which can be used as an extension of electric vehicles WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure) consumption simulation on the level of vehicle classes. The Germany-wide results of the electric vehicles energy demand for heating and air conditioning on the level of NUTS3-areas (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) and vehicle classes show regionally different results and confirm the relevance of the research approach. Vehicle automation results are described on the level of the five SAE automation levels (Society of Automotive Engineers automation levels) and the vehicle classes. The approaches and results can be used for single vehicles or assumed vehicle fleets.
Global solid waste generation is steeply increasing. Currently, high-income countries are responsible for the utmost per capita waste generation, but as economies of the Global South are growing rapidly, their waste is expected to triple by 2050. Simultaneously, countries such as Indonesia did not manage to align their socio-economic development with a sustainable solid waste management (SWM) and therefore contribute significantly to waste debris. Community participation is recognized by governments and civil society actors as an inclusive and transformative tool to manage exacerbating environmental issues. Urban regions intensify the challenges of solid waste generation, as is the case in Jakarta. Therefore, sustainable waste management is subject to an increasing number of civil society organizations. The study analyzed how participative processes within SWM efforts in Jakarta are executed, to investigate potentials and obstacles that evolve during the implementation. Another aim was to explore the heterogenous perspectives of participation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social enterprises, and waste banks to get insights into participatory procedures in Jakarta. The results reveal that the waste problems in Jakarta are complex, interrelated, and multi-layered. While participatory procedures have been acknowledged by the organizations to be highly relevant for waste management, such approaches should be adapted depending on the local circumstances and actors. Some of the obstacles and limitations include deficiency of infrastructure for SWM, lack of government engagement, and general awareness. Therefore, participatory formats should be combined, e.g., with suitable structures and balanced engagement of all relevant actors. Among others, further empirical research is needed to get a better understanding of the effectiveness of participation for efforts addressing environmental pollution. Such research can reveal (hidden) potentials of participative formats for sustainable waste management in urban or metropolitan areas in the Global South.
Energy labels are used worldwide to overcome the inefficiency in household energy use. Presenting energy efficiency in grade-like categories has been found to induce heuristic decision-making, known as the “class valuation effect”. This study investigates whether visualising energy efficiency using a continuous-scale label increases consumers’ consciousness when purchasing appliances. We examine this question in an online survey with randomised decision tasks conducted in China and the Netherlands. In the Dutch sample, the effectiveness of continuous-scale labels depends on individuals’ holistic cognitive tendency and the type of comparison they are faced with, whereas the Chinese sample is not sensitive to these moderators. Moreover, energy literacy shows mixed influence on individual decisions. Results suggest that representing energy efficiency on continuous scales can be used as supportive visual information to facilitate purchase decisions. Regarding energy education, knowledge that directly links to daily energy use seems to translate well into consumers’ conscious decisions.
Energy labels with compact information on the energy use of appliances have been adopted worldwide to encourage consumers to make informed investment decisions. This study examines whether communicating environmental emissions (CO2 and air pollutant emissions) on energy labels can increase the preferences for energy-efficient appliances, with a specific focus on the role of individual psychological traits. A survey with decision tasks was conducted among the adult population in the Netherlands. Results show that information on environmental emissions does not increase the intention to invest in energy-efficiency, while energy-saving attitudes and habits do. Nevertheless, presenting information on CO2 emissions as well as combined CO2 and air pollutant emissions on energy labels can increase the preferences for energy-efficient appliances among individuals with relatively strong postmaterialist values. Information on CO2 emissions also increases the preferences of individuals with strong environmental concerns. However, no significant effects are found for information on air pollutant emissions. Also, personal experience of environmental degradation was not found to affect the effectiveness of the tested information interventions. Finally, we discuss the role of attention and type of decision situation for the processing of emissions information on energy labels. Our findings provide insights for improving information display on energy labels and energy education.