Pre- And post-adoption beliefs about the diffusion and continuation of biogas-based cooking fuel technology in Pakistan

A high level of acceptance and adoption is necessary to facilitate the widespread utilization of renewable energy technologies for cooking, as such utilization is essential for displacing the population's massive dependence on fossil fuels and solid biomass. Economic and demographic aspects have been the focus of recent literature in exploring the adoption phenomenon of biogas technology. However, literature to date has given little attention to the behavioral factors and the perceptions of the end-users. Our study does not only include behavioral factors, but it employs a hybrid model to explore the continued attentions of users based on their post-adoption beliefs and performance expectations. Using a survey conducted in Pakistan in 2017, the study conducts a multivariate analysis through structural equation modeling to measure the effect of pre- and post-adoption beliefs and expectation on adoption and the continuing intention of households towards biogas technology. Results show that the acceptance of the households towards biogas technology is highly influenced by their perceptions on the benefits, as well as their trust in the technology. The perceived cost and risk attached to the technology are found to be negatively correlated with the acceptance. Households' intentions to continue the use of biogas technology is highly influenced by the satisfaction level of the users of biogas technology. With the integrated model of adoption and continuation, the study illustrates the dynamic process in obtaining a deeper understanding of a user's behavior to better formulate the policies for increasing the rate of technology adoption

How two business models respond to current chalenges of agrowood production: the case of Brandenburg, Germany

PosterThe agrowood acreage in Brandenburg has increased fifteen-fold since 2008 reaching in 2013 1819ha (Ministerium für Infrastruktur und Landwirtschaft 2013) and therefore the leading position of all federal states in Germany. Despite of the constant rise and the chances associated with the production of agrowood, potential producers have to face a wide range of challenges: uncertainties about yields, high initial investments, a fixation of land for the 20 years` lifetime of an agrowood plantation and an irregular cash flow all 3 or 5 years. A non-transparent market in addition to lacking long term experiences and machinery available, affects the decision-making process of potential producers negatively. In Brandenburg this innovative crop, growing even under harsh conditions, matches the unfavorable agricultural conditions (Murach et al. 2008). Our subjects of investigation are the two prevailing business models in the agrowood sector in Brandenburg: comprehensive cooperation agreements and independent farming. They coexist and mutually interact with synergies as well as obstructions. We combine a qualitative method with guided interviews focusing on planting decision making processes with a modeling approach using different risk levels and yield expectations to analyze transaction and opportunity costs of those two models. Thereby the characteristics and effects of the business models are compared and analyzed. Our results show that cooperation agreements have effects on the actor`s decision by motivating farmers to decide in favor of agrowood. They also contribute to an expansion of agrowood acreage accounting for almost 40% of the total area in Brandenburg in 2012 (Ehm 2013). Furthermore cooperation agreements are affirmed by interviewees to overcome economic, trade and machinery related constraints of agrowood, secure long-term incomes and increase creditworthiness of producers. In contrast, independent producers are acknowledged to have the burden of higher risks, but may benefit from governmental support programs, which not apply for contract farmers

Composition, volume, and aspect ratio dependence of the strain distribution, band lineups and electron effective masses in self-assembled pyramidal In1-xGaxAs/GaAs and SixGe1-x/Si quantum dots

We present a systematic investigation of the strain distribution of self-assembled pyramidal In1-xGaxAs/GaAs and SixGe1-x/Si quantum dots for the case of growth on a (001) substrate. The dependence of the biaxial and hydrostatic components of the strain on the quantum dot volume, aspect ratio, composition, and percentage of alloying x is studied using a method based on a Green's function technique. The dependence of the carriers' confining potentials and the electronic effective mass on the same parameters is then calculated in the framework of eight-band k .p theory. The results for which comparable published data are available are in good agreement with the theoretical values for strain profiles, confining potentials, and electronic effective mass. © 2002 American Institute of Physics

Effect of deconfinement on resonant transport in quantum wires

The effect of deconfinement due to finite band offsets on transport through quantum wires with two constrictions is investigated. It is shown that the increase in resonance linewidth becomes increasingly important as the size is reduced and ultimately places an upper limit on the energy (temperature) scale for which resonances may be observed.Comment: 6 pages, 6 postscript files with figures; uses REVTe

Changes in the electrical transport of ZnO under visible light

Complex impedance spectroscopy data in the frequency range 16Hz < f < 3 MHz at room temperature were acquired on pure ZnO single crystal and thin film. The measured impedance of the ZnO samples shows large changes with time after exposure to or covering them from visible light. At fixed times Cole-Cole-diagrams indicate the presence of a single relaxation process. A simple analysis of the impedance data allows us to obtain two main relaxation times. The behavior for both, ZnO crystal and thin film, is similar but the thin film shows shorter relaxation times. The analysis indicates the existence of two different photo-active defects with activation energies between ~0.8 eV and ~1.1 eV.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Solid state communications, in pres