Going Beyond Mixed Methods to Mixed Approaches: A Systems Perspective for Asking the Right Questions

An impact evaluation's primary task is to determine which impacts were caused by an intervention, distinguishing them from those produced by other causes. However, in complex systems, interventions may contribute towards less apparent forms of impact (such as negative, unintended, indirect and secondary) that are no less significant, but which require a different way of asking questions. Rather than advocating for a particular evaluation approach or methodology, we propose that (1) beyond the intervention's theory of change (TOC), the complex system within which the intervention has taken place and intends to make an impact must also be examined, and (2) specific elements of an intervention's TOC and the larger system must be understood to have a systematic basis for determining what evaluation questions need to be asked. Only then can the appropriate evaluation approaches and methods be identified, and adapted as this understanding increases over the course of the evaluation

Survey of Photovoltaic Industry and Policy in Germany and China

As building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) solutions can meet around one-third of electricity demand in Germany and China, both countries are interested in exploring this potential. PV technologies have demonstrated significant price reductions, but large-scale global application of PV requires further technology improvements and cost reductions along the value chain. We analyze policies in Germany and China, including deployment support, investment support for manufacturing plants and R&D support measures, and we survey the industrial actors they can encourage to pursue innovation. While deployment support has been successful, investment support for manufacturing in these nations has not been sufficiently tied to innovation incentives, and R&D support has been comparatively weak. The paper concludes with a discussion of the opportunities for global policy coordination

Risiken und Chancen der Fernwaerme im liberalisierten Strommarkt. Teilprojekt P1: Gesamtkoordination und Berichte Abschlussbericht

The cooperative project had the object to find trade strategies, which the competitive ability of the district heating receives in the liberalized current market. It could be proven that apart form the risks that are caused by the decay of the electricity prices, also chances are existing caused by deregulation of the markets. The measures of net-optimisation (steam net conversion, temperature reductions) and also the use of scopes in the current sales and in the current purchase are having a large potential of optimisation. The district heating which is preserving the environment can be kept alive together with the in meantime passed law for support of the combined heat and power generation. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F03B1207 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman

Modernisierung und Optimierung der Fernwaermeversorgung in Muenchen

Stadtwerke Muenchen (SWM), one of Germany's biggest public utilities, carried out a study on optimisation potentials in heat supply. The most important and also the most interesting result was the conversion to hot water of the biggest German steam supply network. The second recommendation was the modification of the Sendling hot water grid: Instead of a constant temperature of 160 C, a sliding temperature of, at the highest, 145 is recommended. In the Perlach grid, the contribution of combined heat and power generation can be enhanced and in the Freimann grid, the pressure can be lowered. In all, a cost reduction of about 20 million DM/a is envisaged, which will put district heating in Munich on a sound long-term basis. (orig.)Die Liberalisierung des Strommarktes mit ihren drastischen Strompreisreduzierungen hat bei allen Versorgungsunternehmen mit hoher Stromeigenproduktion zu erheblichen Erloeseeinbussen gefuehrt. Die mit der Liberalisierung gleichzeitig verbundene Entflechtung der einzelnen Sparten und der Prozessablaeufe fuehrte zu einer Kostentransparenz, die vielfach aufzeigte, dass die Fernwaermeversorgung nicht wirtschaftlich ist. Der durch die Stromliberalisierung ausgeloeste Rationalisierungsdruck hat zur Suche nach Kosteneinspar- und Optimierungsmoeglichkeiten gefuehrt. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde bei den Stadtwerken Muenchen (SWM), einem der groessten Versorgungsunternehmen Deutschlands, eine Studie durchgefuehrt mit dem Ziel, insbesondere nach Optimierungspotentialen in der Waermeverteilung zu suchen. Den wichtigsten und interessantesten Ansatz stellt die Umstellung des groessten deutschen Dampfnetzes auf Heisswasser dar. Der zweite Optimierungsvorschlag betrifft das Heisswassernetz Sendling, dessen Temperaturfahrweise von 160 C konstant auf eine gleitende Fahrweise mit max. 145 C umgestellt wird. Ein weiteres Optimierungspotential bieten die Netze Perlach und Freimann. In Perlach kann der Anteil der Kraft-Waerme-Kopplung durch Anheben der Temperaturfahrweise erhoeht werden, in Freimann kann der Druck abgesenkt werden. Alle dargestellten Verbesserungsmassnahmen zusammen ergeben Kosteneinsparungen in Hoehe von rund 20 Mio. DM/a, so dass eine langfristig wirtschaftliche Fernwaermeversorgung in Muenchen gewaehrleistet ist. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F02B1803 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman