Electricity's effect on gender equality in rural Zanzibar, Tanzania : case study for Gender and Energy World Development Report Background Paper

This anthropological case study on the introduction of electricity in rural Zanzibar around 1990 discusses to what extent and how women became empowered in the process. What factors contributed to increased gender equality during the uptake of electricity and related appliances – and what were the barriers? Attention is paid to women's opportunities and their ability to influence the shaping of the new technology as compared to men's, as well as women's role in forming new solutions for energy use. A related issue that is analysed is the manner and extent to which the uptake and use of electricity and appliances have enhanced women's social and economic opportunities, their general ability to take action, and their accumulation of wealth, knowledge and other types of resources.\ud An introduction to Zanzibar and some of the central cultural principles for gender organisation, ideologies and household finances open the case

Electricity Consumption: Should There Be a Limit? Implications of People’s Attitudes for the Forming of Sustainable Energy Policies

The aim of this paper is to examine people’s attitudes towards electricity and electricity consumption within the Norwegian market context. The empirical material is based on 18 in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions carried out in two Norwegian towns. We draw on theories which assume that different types of logics motivate and guide behaviour. The results show that people’s views on electricity consumption vary widely. About half of the sample thinks of electricity as a commodity, following the market logic embedded in the Norwegian electricity system. According to “consumerists”, as long as people pay for consumption, they are entitled to use as much electricity as they want. The other half of our sample, referred to as “citizens”, questions the purely market-based system. They raise the question of fairness and think there is a need for a norm for appropriate consumption. Both groups regard Norwegian hydropower as common property belonging to the Norwegian population, and both groups question the existing market-based system for exchange of power with other countries. We use the results to discuss some of the policy implications in terms of how energy savings could be achieved

Gender equity in access to and benefits from modern energy and improved energy technologies:world development report background paper

This background paper has been commissioned as a contribution to the preparation of the World Development Report 2012 which will focus on development and gender equality. It is a companion paper to two other papers which examine gender issues in relation to common property resources and economic dimensions of gender and energy. Gender, as a concept, refers to the socially determined ideas and practices of what it is to be female or male. It contrasts with the concept of sex which uses biological attributes to categorise someone as male or female (Reeves and Baden, 2000). This paper focuses on the socio-cultural dimensions that influence and shape gender equity in terms of access to and benefits from access to modern energy1 and improved energy technologies2. Gender equity recognises that women and men have different needs and interests, and that to achieve equality in life outcomes, a redistribution of power and resources is required (Reeves and Baden, 2000)

Energy performance contracting (EPC): a suitable mechanism for achieving energy savings in housing cooperatives? Results from a Norwegian pilot project

The barriers to energy savings in institutions and private homes are well known and include people’s lack of interest, awareness, knowledge and human and financial capacity. Experiences made in several countries show that EPC—energy performance contracting—may be used for overcoming many of these barriers. A typical EPC project is delivered by an energy service company (ESCO) and the contract is accompanied with a guarantee for energy savings. EPC is increasingly taken in use in the professional market (firms and the public sector), but is less common in the residential sector market. It has been suggested that there are several barriers for using EPC in the domestic sector such as the uncertainty involved in estimating forthcoming reductions in private consumption. In this paper, we present the results from a pilot project on the use of EPC in a housing cooperative in Oslo. The project was initiated and observed by the researchers. The research followed a transdisciplinary methodology in that it was conducted by both researcher and practitioner (co-authors) in close collaboration with members of the housing cooperative and the ESCOs, who also contributed to the interpretation of results. We document the process in terms of why the Board decided to join the EPC pilot, the call for offers from ESCOs who guaranteed that purchased annual energy would be reduced by one third, the responses to and negotiations of the offer from the ESCO who became contracted in the initial phase and up to the moment when the General Assembly finally decided to not invest in the proposed energy saving measures. We find that the residents not only had limited interest in energy savings but also lacked confidence in the EPC process. This contributed to the outcome. We discuss the findings in relation to the barriers to using EPC among housing cooperatives. We highlight the need for more knowledge about the client side for understanding how barriers may be overcome. Three specific recommendations for how EPC may successfully be employed among housing cooperatives are suggested as follows: (i) include refurbishment and not only energy savings in the EPC, (ii) identify the residents’ needs in an early phase and (iii) communicate the EPC principle to the residents throughout the process

In Vivo Comparison of Synthetic Macroporous Filamentous and Sponge-like Skin Substitute Matrices Reveals Morphometric Features of the Foreign Body Reaction According to 3D Biomaterial Designs

Synthetic macroporous biomaterials are widely used in the field of skin tissue engineering to mimic membrane functions of the native dermis. Biomaterial designs can be subclassified with respect to their shape in fibrous designs, namely fibers, meshes or fleeces, respectively, and porous designs, such as sponges and foams. However, synthetic matrices often have limitations regarding unfavorable foreign body responses (FBRs). Severe FBRs can result in unfavorable disintegration and rejection of an implant, whereas mild FBRs can lead to an acceptable integration of a biomaterial. In this context, comparative in vivo studies of different three-dimensional (3D) matrix designs are rare. Especially, the differences regarding FBRs between synthetically derived filamentous fleeces and sponge-like constructs are unknown. In the present study, the FBRs on two 3D matrix designs were explored after 25 days of subcutaneous implantation in a porcine model. Cellular reactions were quantified histopathologically to investigate in which way the FBR is influenced by the biomaterial architecture. Our results show that FBR metrics (polymorph-nucleated cells and fibrotic reactions) were significantly affected according to the matrix designs. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the 3D matrix tissue interactions and can be useful for future developments of synthetically derived skin substitute biomaterial

Forbrukerfleksibilitet: Et kunnskapsgrunnlag for å forstå husholdningers oppfatninger og muligheter

I Norge ble en ny modell for beregning av nettleie innført 1. juli 2022. Formålet med den nye nettleien er å motivere husholdninger til å fordele strømforbruket jevnere utover døgnet. På tidspunktet hvor den nye nettleien ble planlagt innført var det liten kunnskap om virkninger av slike virkemidler på forbrukere. Flexeffect-prosjektet startet har undersøkt virkninger virkemidler for fleksibel strømbruk på forskjellige husholdningsgrupper. Resultatene viser at mange av forbrukerne forstår og er enige med formålet for ny nettleie. Samtidig gjør utformingen det vanskelig å forstå og tilpasse seg i hverdagslivet og det er konkurrerende signaler og hensyn de må ta. Videre har mange uttrykt bekymring for at den nye nettleien kan få uheldige og urettferdige fordelingsvirkninger. Våre funn viser også at det er krevende for forbrukere å ta i bruk ny teknologi for å øke forbrukerfleksibiliteten. Selv om forbrukerhensyn er nevnt i den politiske rosessen for å innføre ny nettleie er forbrukerne svakt representert i utformingen og forbrukerhensynene som inngår i konsultasjonene har en tendens til å være generelle. Dimensjoner som systembehov er blitt mer vektlagt enn orbrukerbehov og ikke minst forbrukeres evne til tilpasning