Search

In order to achieve emission reduction targets in the passenger transport sector, the demand side and especially the mobility behavior of consumers deserve special attention. It is unlikely that such behavior will change without significant political intervention, nor will single policy instruments be sufficient to induce the needed changes. In this study, therefore, we analyze the design of so-called disruptive policy packages required to drastically reduce passenger transport emissions in industrialized countries and illustrate it for the case of Austria. Our research approach consists of three methods: a literature review to develop a policy category system, expert interviews to build effective policy packages and a stakeholder workshop to identify the specific needs of different geographical areas. For the design of successful policy packages, we identify two critical dimensions, disruptiveness (having high-level and rapid effectiveness) and implementability. A well-balanced combination of diverse policy instruments is required to adequately address both dimensions., Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung W1256, Version of record

This study aims to explore the factors that influence business travel decisions of university staff, in particular the extent and ways in which they are willing to reduce emission-intensive air travel, and the personal and structural barriers to such behavior change. Three strategies to reduce air travel were investigated: abstaining from particular events, substituting travel through virtual participation and mode shifting to ground-based public transport. We tested the effects of (1) specific decision factors for engaging in long-distance travel, choosing specific modes of travel and choosing virtual solutions; (2) former travel activities; (3) postponed trips due to COVID-19; and (4) sociodemographic factors, on the willingness of individuals to reduce air travel in a sample of university employees. We calculated regression models for the three strategies and added a qualitative analysis of open-ended comments. Former travel behavior as well as pro-environmental considerations play significant roles, influencing the willingness of employees to change their business travel behavior. Furthermore, we found that willingness to reduce air travel depends on the scope of behavior change. Although travel behavior is unevenly distributed across different subgroups, sociodemographic factors only play a minor role in the regression models. The present study adds to the limited body of quantitative research on the reduction potential of academic air travel, presenting an examination of university staff's willingness to change their long-distance travel behavior. Implications for university polices are discussed., Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung W1256, Version of record

Power-to-X is an upcoming sector-coupling technology that can play a role in the decarbonisation of energy systems. The aim of this study was to widen the current knowledge of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of this innovative technology in the Danish context by utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate and compare perception of academic and industrial experts. The results of this analysis indicate that the external factors such as current policy framework are more important than the internal technology related factors. Further, positive factors predominate negative ones, with academic experts indicating strengths as the most important category and practitioners' opportunities. All experts consider the country being a P2X knowledge hub as one of the most important factors, and in the given context of the Danish energy system, wind developments and Danish industrial environment, seizing this opportunity could be the biggest enabler for P2X success., QC 20210331

A trend across most areas where simulation-driven development is used is the ever in- creasing size and complexity of the systems under consideration, pushing established methods of modeling and simulation towards their limits. This paper complements existing surveys on large-scale modeling and simulation of physical systems by conducting expert surveys. We conducted a two-stage empirical survey in order to investigate research needs, current challenges as well as promising modeling and simulation paradigms. Furthermore, we applied the analytic hierarchy process method to prioritise the strengths and weak- ness of different modeling paradigms. The results of this study show that experts consider acausal modeling techniques to be suitable for modeling large scale systems, while causal techniques are considered less suitable., Validerad;2019;Nivå 2;2019-09-18 (johcin)

A trend across most areas where simulation-driven development is used is the ever in- creasing size and complexity of the systems under consideration, pushing established methods of modeling and simulation towards their limits. This paper complements existing surveys on large-scale modeling and simulation of physical systems by conducting expert surveys. We conducted a two-stage empirical survey in order to investigate research needs, current challenges as well as promising modeling and simulation paradigms. Furthermore, we applied the analytic hierarchy process method to prioritise the strengths and weak- ness of different modeling paradigms. The results of this study show that experts consider acausal modeling techniques to be suitable for modeling large scale systems, while causal techniques are considered less suitable., Validerad;2019;Nivå 2;2019-09-18 (johcin)

The emergence of self-organized industrial symbiosis (IS) is based on the expectations of industrial actors regarding financial and/or environmental benefits through symbiotic inter-company linkages. One such linkage is the exchange of by-products as substitutes for primary raw materials. However, the company generating the by-product may even not be aware of potential application fields in other industries. In cases where the by-product triggers an innovation, the very early phase of the innovation process (“early front-end”—EFE) is extremely important, as it is here that a first rough picture of future application fields must be defined. In contrast to traditional market innovations of industries, the EFE of IS innovations is triggered by the existence of a certain by-product. As conventional innovation models are not very helpful in supporting the EFE decisions in IS innovations, our paper aims to establish a link between self-organized IS and innovation by creating a specific theoretical framework for the support of EFE decisions. We thus introduce the “stage-gate model of self-organized IS innovations” and place a particular emphasis on the early phases within this model. Subsequently, we illustrate the application of the early phases of the model in a case study on lignin utilization in the Austrian paper and pulp industry (P&P industry). In this way, the study contributes to a better understanding of the peculiarities and conditions of EFE decisions in IS innovations and their significance in the emergence of self-organized IS networks

The emergence of self-organized industrial symbiosis (IS) is based on the expectations of industrial actors regarding financial and/or environmental benefits through symbiotic inter-company linkages. One such linkage is the exchange of by-products as substitutes for primary raw materials. However, the company generating the by-product may even not be aware of potential application fields in other industries. In cases where the by-product triggers an innovation, the very early phase of the innovation process (“early front-end”—EFE) is extremely important, as it is here that a first rough picture of future application fields must be defined. In contrast to traditional market innovations of industries, the EFE of IS innovations is triggered by the existence of a certain by-product. As conventional innovation models are not very helpful in supporting the EFE decisions in IS innovations, our paper aims to establish a link between self-organized IS and innovation by creating a specific theoretical framework for the support of EFE decisions. We thus introduce the “stage-gate model of self-organized IS innovations” and place a particular emphasis on the early phases within this model. Subsequently, we illustrate the application of the early phases of the model in a case study on lignin utilization in the Austrian paper and pulp industry (P&P industry). In this way, the study contributes to a better understanding of the peculiarities and conditions of EFE decisions in IS innovations and their significance in the emergence of self-organized IS networks

Social preferences like social value orientation are considered a promising solution to social dilemmas, such as mitigating anthropogenic climate change. However, evidence on the relationship between social preferences and environmental concerns is mixed, possibly because these constructs have commonly been measured by distinct methods that do not facilitate direct comparisons. We address this gap by introducing an incentivized preference-based measurement approach, extending a subject’s concerns for the well-being of others to a subject’s willingness to support environmental and humanitarian endeavors, based on a simple social preferences utility function. In this measurement approach, subjects make resource allocation choices with real consequences and the design ensures comparability of different revealed preferences (i.e., people’s willingness to make tradeoffs between themselves and others via donations to NGOs supporting different environmental and social causes).We then use this measurement method in an exploratory fashion to consistently assess preferences for environmental and humanitarian concerns in a laboratory experiment. We find that social and environmental value orientations are robustly interrelated, and further that people are generally more willing to pay to benefit people in need, compared to abstract environmental causes. We conclude that interventions to nudge people towards proenvironmental behavior will have a greater impact if human suffering resulting from global climate change is made more salient.

Large-scale wind power projects are one of the bearers of hope for a transition toward low-carbon electricity systems. The question of social acceptance of such projects near residential areas, or acceptance of the technology in general, has received significant attention in the scientific literature. Less attention has been placed on acceptability of wind farms in sparsely inhabited mountain areas; the focus of this paper therefore is on acceptance of wind farms in the Austrian Alps from the perspective of tourists and day trippers. We conducted a quantitative survey with visitors of alpine regions (n = 137) in proximity to recently constructed wind farms and identified drivers of (non-)acceptance by means of bivariate correlations and multiple linear regressions. Results indicate a high acceptance of wind technology in general and fairly high acceptance for the existing projects. Acceptance levels, however, are slightly, but significantly lower when respondents were asked to rate acceptability of wind farms in the Alps in general. Perceived benefits and reliability of wind power is the strongest predictor variable for higher acceptance levels, while annoyance through visual impact and noise is the strongest predictor variable for lower acceptance levels. Interestingly, factors like degree of information, concern regarding environmental impacts, trust in decision makers and climate change concern do not significantly affect acceptance levels. At the moment, no major opposition to wind power can be identified among tourists. Policy makers therefore should emphasize benefits of wind farms, as respective perceptions are a main predictor for acceptance. Operators should take annoyance concerns seriously, as this factor is predominant in predicting non-acceptance.

Higher education for sustainable development plays a crucial role in the transformation of society towards a more sustainable pathway of development. The new trends in society and technology experienced in the course of the fourth industrial revolution come with challenges, but also provide opportunities. In this paper, we reflect on the conceptual basis of education for sustainable development as approached at the University of Graz, Austria, and contrast this basis with the expectations stated by students. The results showed that students acknowledged the high importance of digital competencies and found it highly important to be confronted with future-oriented topics and contents. Interestingly, students seemed skeptical about online course formats and digitalization of teaching and clearly preferred the interactive classroom experience. Students also rated international topics and transdisciplinary thinking as fairly important. Interestingly, a relatively high share of students only saw mediocre added value in experiencing international classrooms, and in having international teachers, when it comes to meeting their top priority, which is being competitive in the job market. Education for sustainable development in the future will not only need to prepare students for international, interdisciplinary, and digital environments, but also will need to meet the expectations of demanding and ambitious students and provide them with bright career prospects.

Social preferences like social value orientation are considered a promising solution to social dilemmas, such as mitigating anthropogenic climate change. However, evidence on the relationship between social preferences and environmental concerns is mixed, possibly because these constructs have commonly been measured by distinct methods that do not facilitate direct comparisons. We address this gap by introducing an incentivized preference-based measurement approach, extending a subject’s concerns for the well-being of others to a subject’s willingness to support environmental and humanitarian endeavors, based on a simple social preferences utility function. In this measurement approach, subjects make resource allocation choices with real consequences and the design ensures comparability of different revealed preferences (i.e., people’s willingness to make tradeoffs between themselves and others via donations to NGOs supporting different environmental and social causes).We then use this measurement method in an exploratory fashion to consistently assess preferences for environmental and humanitarian concerns in a laboratory experiment. We find that social and environmental value orientations are robustly interrelated, and further that people are generally more willing to pay to benefit people in need, compared to abstract environmental causes. We conclude that interventions to nudge people towards proenvironmental behavior will have a greater impact if human suffering resulting from global climate change is made more salient.

A trend across most areas where simulation-driven development is used is the ever increasing size and complexity of the systems under consideration, pushing established methods of modeling and simulation towards their limits. This paper complements existing surveys on large-scale modeling and simulation of physical systems by conducting expert surveys. We conducted a two-stage empirical survey in order to investigate research needs, current challenges as well as promising modeling and simulation paradigms. Furthermore, we applied the analytic hierarchy process method to prioritise the strengths and weakness of different modeling paradigms. The results of this study show that experts consider acausal modeling techniques to be suitable for modeling large scale systems, while causal techniques are considered less suitable.

Co-simulation is a promising approach for the modelling and simulation of complex systems, that makes use of mature simulation tools in the respective domains. It has been applied in wildly different domains, oftentimes without a comprehensive study of the impact to the simulation results. As a consequence, over the recent years, researchers have set out to understand the essential challenges arising from the application of this technique. This paper complements the existing surveys in that the social and empirical aspects were addressed. More than 50 experts participated in a two-stage Delphi study to determine current challenges, research needs and promising standards and tools. Furthermore, an analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of co-simulation utilizing the analytic hierarchy process resulting in a SWOT-AHP analysis is presented. The empirical results of this study show that experts consider the FMI standard to be the most promising standard for continuous time, discrete event and hybrid co-simulation. The results of the SWOT-AHP analysis indicate that factors related to strengths and opportunities predominate.

Compared to large-scale renewable energy systems, distributed systems have diffused relatively slowly in recent years, particularly in developing countries. In this study, we analysed the barriers to the diffusion of distributed photovoltaics in South Africa by applying the technological innovation system framework. More specifically, we carried out an interview-based structural-functional analysis to identify underlying systemic problems, reveal their patterns of interaction, and analyse the implications of these patterns for the relationship among the key processes within the innovation system, the so-called system functions. We identified a variety of interlinked problems, shed light on the specific roles of different, mal-performing, system functions, and revealed constellations where specific functions blocked each other and, thereby, created lock-in situations. Although the findings reveal the complexity of the problems that are associated with the implementation of distributed energy technologies, they also indicate that these problems may be addressed successfully., Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung W 1256-G15, Version of record

The widespread diffusion of new technologies is often preceded by hypes, that is periods of a strong rise and subsequent fall in collective expectations, which are usually followed by disappointment. In this study, we focused on the multilevel nature of collective technological expectations and analysed the dynamics of expectations about photovoltaic technology in Germany and Spain over the period of 1992–2015 by conducting a media analysis. Our results indicate that a hype and subsequent phase of disappointment with regard to photovoltaic technology occurred in both countries. However, the results also suggest that these, and particularly the phase of disappointment, were associated with different levels of expectations: while the Spanish hype was followed by a period of pessimism with regard to the profitability of the technology, the disappointment in Germany was dominated by the fear that the technology would negatively affect the economy as a whole. Furthermore, the results allow researchers to gain a better understanding of the interactions among technological expectations and policies, and suggest that, in both countries, national policies played a key role in supporting the formation of positive as well as negative expectations., Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung W 1256-G15, Version of record

Increasing energy prices and market volatilities force energy intensive industries to implement energy management systems in order to ensure competitiveness. In this paper, we focus on the strategic level of energy management, specifically, on the analysis of the internal and external conditions that form the basis for strategic development. For this, we selected the case of the Austrian paper and pulp industry. We applied a hybrid method by combining an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process which was based on a survey of expert opinion. The results show that cost-related factors predominate. According to our analysis, the four most important factors are all directly linked to energy costs, energy efficiency, and the energy market. Experts pay little attention to environmental issues or to energy market volatilities. Apart from that, the combination of an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process promises to be a valuable tool for strategic energy management. This is especially true for energy intensive companies and/or sectors, since it enables decision makers to take strategic decisions based on a systematic understanding of the main issues., Alfred Posch, Thomas Brudermann, Nina Braschel & Magdalena Gabriel

Increasing energy prices and market volatilities force energy intensive industries to implement energy management systems in order to ensure competitiveness. In this paper, we focus on the strategic level of energy management, specifically, on the analysis of the internal and external conditions that form the basis for strategic development. For this, we selected the case of the Austrian paper and pulp industry. We applied a hybrid method by combining an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process which was based on a survey of expert opinion. The results show that cost-related factors predominate. According to our analysis, the four most important factors are all directly linked to energy costs, energy efficiency, and the energy market. Experts pay little attention to environmental issues or to energy market volatilities. Apart from that, the combination of an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process promises to be a valuable tool for strategic energy management. This is especially true for energy intensive companies and/or sectors, since it enables decision makers to take strategic decisions based on a systematic understanding of the main issues., Alfred Posch, Thomas Brudermann, Nina Braschel & Magdalena Gabriel

Growing awareness of environmental and social issues in economic development contributes to move the idea of sustainable development forward. Since 2008, the Joint International Master in Sustainable Development offers an international and inter disciplinary approach to the hotly debated topic. It combines the strengths of the eight partner universities in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The emergence of self-organized industrial symbiosis (IS) is based on the expectations of industrial actors regarding financial and/or environmental benefits through symbiotic inter-company linkages. One such linkage is the exchange of by-products as substitutes for primary raw materials. However, the company generating the by-product may even not be aware of potential application fields in other industries. In cases where the by-product triggers an innovation, the very early phase of the innovation process ("early front-end"—EFE) is extremely important, as it is here that a first rough picture of future application fields must be defined. In contrast to traditional market innovations of industries, the EFE of IS innovations is triggered by the existence of a certain by-product. As conventional innovation models are not very helpful in supporting the EFE decisions in IS innovations, our paper aims to establish a link between self-organized IS and innovation by creating a specific theoretical framework for the support of EFE decisions. We thus introduce the "stage-gate model of self-organized IS innovations" and place a particular emphasis on the early phases within this model. Subsequently, we illustrate the application of the early phases of the model in a case study on lignin utilization in the Austrian paper and pulp industry (P&P industry). In this way, the study contributes to a better understanding of the peculiarities and conditions of EFE decisions in IS innovations and their significance in the emergence of self-organized IS networks.

Photovoltaics is still a niche technology, accounting for a low proportion of electricity generation. Combining an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) with the analytic hier archy process, we discuss the prospects and challenges relating to photovoltaics in Austria, when attempting to move from a niche level to a regime level change in energy transition. In carrying out this hybrid method, a set of pre-defined SWOT factors were judged by experts by means of pairwise comparisons. As results reveal, strengths and opportunities outweigh weaknesses and threats. According to the experts, financial and technological considerations dominate over environmental and social issues. Hence, characteristics such as rapid reduction in module costs, technological progress and low economies of scale imply that significant promise may be assigned to photovoltaics in terms of its expected contribution to the transformation of our energy system.

In this paper, we discuss the prospects of agricultural biogas plants. We conducted an integrated SWOT–AHP analysis for such plants in Austria in order to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT factors), and to weight the factors identified based on expert judgments, calculated according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results show that financial aspects are dominant in three of the four SWOT categories. Technological aspects and issues regarding utilization seem to play a relatively minor role. Factors that are not directly under the control of plant operators are currently perceived as crucial for the success of agricultural biogas plants. We conclude that such plants will only succeed in contributing to sustainable energy supply goals when economic and political conditions are favorable over the long term., Thomas Brudermann, Corinna Mitterhuber & Alfred Posch

Photovoltaics is still a niche technology, accounting for a low proportion of electricity generation. Combining an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) with the analytic hier archy process, we discuss the prospects and challenges relating to photovoltaics in Austria, when attempting to move from a niche level to a regime level change in energy transition. In carrying out this hybrid method, a set of pre-defined SWOT factors were judged by experts by means of pairwise comparisons. As results reveal, strengths and opportunities outweigh weaknesses and threats. According to the experts, financial and technological considerations dominate over environmental and social issues. Hence, characteristics such as rapid reduction in module costs, technological progress and low economies of scale imply that significant promise may be assigned to photovoltaics in terms of its expected contribution to the transformation of our energy system.

In this paper, we discuss the prospects of agricultural biogas plants. We conducted an integrated SWOT–AHP analysis for such plants in Austria in order to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT factors), and to weight the factors identified based on expert judgments, calculated according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results show that financial aspects are dominant in three of the four SWOT categories. Technological aspects and issues regarding utilization seem to play a relatively minor role. Factors that are not directly under the control of plant operators are currently perceived as crucial for the success of agricultural biogas plants. We conclude that such plants will only succeed in contributing to sustainable energy supply goals when economic and political conditions are favorable over the long term., Thomas Brudermann, Corinna Mitterhuber & Alfred Posch

In this paper we analyze the effect of regional and municipal measures for promoting energy transition on citizen attitudes and behavior. We compare one township that has successfully implemented a comprehensive and systematic energy-saving program (the so-called e5 program) with a township without such a program. The results indicate that despite the program’s ambitious aims, e5 implementation has almost no impact on citizen attitudes and behavior. In fact, there are some signs that it might even have slight negative side effects., Stefanie Hatzl, Thomas Brudermann, Kathrin Reinsberger & Alfred Posch

In this paper we analyze the effect of regional and municipal measures for promoting energy transition on citizen attitudes and behavior. We compare one township that has successfully implemented a comprehensive and systematic energy-saving program (the so-called e5 program) with a township without such a program. The results indicate that despite the program’s ambitious aims, e5 implementation has almost no impact on citizen attitudes and behavior. In fact, there are some signs that it might even have slight negative side effects., Stefanie Hatzl, Thomas Brudermann, Kathrin Reinsberger & Alfred Posch

Building integrated photovoltaics, a special form of photovoltaics, is still a niche market with a relatively low number of installations worldwide. Although it is considered a promising technology, especially in Europe where land for large-scale photovoltaic plants is rare, several factors continue to constrain its widespread adoption. This paper investigates the prospects for, and barriers to, building integrated photovoltaics adoption in the European context, building on a series of interviews with experts in the field. The results indicate that the main problems relate to cost calcu lations, to the existing gap between the photovoltaic and the building industry, and to the lack of expertise and knowledge concerning the potential of the technology among important stakeholders. However, with the implementation of the new European Building Directive 2010/31/EU that demands “nearly zero-energy buildings” by 2020, building integrated photovoltaics is likely to gain considerable momentum., Johann Koinegg, Thomas Brudermann, Alfred Posch, Maximilian Mrotzek

This paper aims to identify the success factors, incentives, barriers and challenges in the adoption process of photovoltaics (PV) in the agricultural sector, with particular focus placed on decision making of individual farmers and network effects. We investigated a successful case of an Austrian farmers' association that set up a community power plant concept and a society for facilitating PV adoption among farmers. We found that PV adoption decisions are driven by economic and environmental considerations and that while ethical considerations are relatively strong among farmers, they cannot be used as predictors in the decision making process. Results furthermore suggest that while adoption of PV increases belief in technological progress as a solution to environmental problems, it may simultaneously lead to a weakening in the belief that underlying lifestyle changes are necessary. Our conclusions address crucial aspects of PV adoption in agriculture, and implications for policy measures related to respective community initiatives., Thomas Brudermann, Kathrin Reinsberger, Anita Orthofer, Martin Kislinger & Alfred Posch

Building integrated photovoltaics, a special form of photovoltaics, is still a niche market with a relatively low number of installations worldwide. Although it is considered a promising technology, especially in Europe where land for large-scale photovoltaic plants is rare, several factors continue to constrain its widespread adoption. This paper investigates the prospects for, and barriers to, building integrated photovoltaics adoption in the European context, building on a series of interviews with experts in the field. The results indicate that the main problems relate to cost calcu lations, to the existing gap between the photovoltaic and the building industry, and to the lack of expertise and knowledge concerning the potential of the technology among important stakeholders. However, with the implementation of the new European Building Directive 2010/31/EU that demands “nearly zero-energy buildings” by 2020, building integrated photovoltaics is likely to gain considerable momentum., Johann Koinegg, Thomas Brudermann, Alfred Posch, Maximilian Mrotzek

This paper aims to identify the success factors, incentives, barriers and challenges in the adoption process of photovoltaics (PV) in the agricultural sector, with particular focus placed on decision making of individual farmers and network effects. We investigated a successful case of an Austrian farmers' association that set up a community power plant concept and a society for facilitating PV adoption among farmers. We found that PV adoption decisions are driven by economic and environmental considerations and that while ethical considerations are relatively strong among farmers, they cannot be used as predictors in the decision making process. Results furthermore suggest that while adoption of PV increases belief in technological progress as a solution to environmental problems, it may simultaneously lead to a weakening in the belief that underlying lifestyle changes are necessary. Our conclusions address crucial aspects of PV adoption in agriculture, and implications for policy measures related to respective community initiatives., Thomas Brudermann, Kathrin Reinsberger, Anita Orthofer, Martin Kislinger & Alfred Posch