Energy Informatics

Due to the increasing importance of producing and consuming energy more sustainably, Energy Informatics (EI) has evolved into a thriving research area within the CS/IS community. The article attempts to characterize this young and dynamic field of research by describing current EI research topics and methods and provides an outlook of how the field might evolve in the future. It is shown that two general research questions have received the most attention so far and are likely to dominate the EI research agenda in the coming years: How to leverage information and communication technology (ICT) to (1) improve energy efficiency, and (2) to integrate decentralized renewable energy sources into the power grid. Selected EI streams are reviewed, highlighting how the respective research questions are broken down into specific research projects and how EI researchers have made contributions based on their individual academic background.     

Multi-agent-based transport planning in the newspaper industry

In many cases of today's planning tasks, the synchronization of production and distribution is becoming increasingly important in order to minimize costs and to maximize customer satisfaction. This is especially the case if transport schedules are closely connected to production schedules, as it is in the newspaper industry—where perishable goods are distributed immediately after production. In order to achieve the above mentioned competing objectives, a special kind of vehicle routing problem, the vehicle routing problem with time windows and cluster-dependent tour starts (VRPTWCD), has to be solved. Moreover, the varying print and post-processing schedules due to unknown editorial deadlines lead to the need for a dynamic online control of the newspaper production and distribution process. In this contribution, the outlined dynamic transport problem is solved online under consideration of unforeseen changes in production schedules. The solution concept is based on a multi-agent system consisting of, amongst others, several Edition and Vehicle Agents. This system is exemplarily applied to a real life application case of one of the largest German newspaper companies. It is shown that a static (centralized) optimization of the underlying problem would even lead to worse results in comparison to the current situation and that the appliance of the multi-agent system is suitable in the newspaper industry.     

Gender Role Portrayals in Japanese Advertising: A Magazine Content Analysis

Abstract

The authors report a content analysis that assessed gender role portrayals in advertisements from highest circulation Japanese magazines. They found that, although some indigenous gender stereotyping was evident, several traits previously associated with Japanese women (devoted, obliging, rattle-brained, superstitious, thorough) were associated with men. Also, men were not linked with certain stereotypical male traits (autocratic, blustery, forgiving, generous, severe). Other findings included women being shown in a positive way as often as men. In terms of common international stereotypes, women were not associated with low priced products or portrayed as being more deferential than men. However, women still were portrayed as more concerned with appearance and as younger than men, were not depicted as product authorities, and were shown more often in sexist than in nonsexist depictions.     

The Role of Regional Integration,Security and Development in Southern Africa

Abstract: This paper investigates the causal interlinkagcs between regional integration, security and development in Southern Africa, with special emphasis on the role of regional integration in the promotion of security in the region. It surveys the economic potentials of the region, the security concerns, and the development of institutions for regional integration. The paper then recommends new regional arrangemments for the promotion of joint security in the region with the objective of achieving both security and regional sustainable development. Résumé: Cet article s'interroge sur les liens de cause à effet entre l'intégration régionale, la sécuritéét le développement en Afrique australe, en insistant tout particulièrement sur le rôle de l'intégration régionale dans la promotion de la sécurité, au niveau de la région. Il analyse les potentialités économiques de la région, les problèmes de sécurité, et la misc en place d'institutions pour l'intégration régionale. Puis il recomande de nouveaux mécanismes régionaux pour promouvoir la sécurité commune dans la région avec l'objcctif de réaliscr à la fois la sécurité et le développement régional durable.     

Toolkits for idea competitions: a novel method to integrate users in new product development

Research has shown that many innovations originate not in the manufacturer but the user domain. Internet-based toolkits for idea competitions (TIC) are a novel way for manufacturers to access innovative ideas and solutions from users. Idea competitions build on the nature of competition as a means to encourage users to participate at an open innovation process, to inspire their creativity, and to increase the quality of the submissions. When the contest ends, submissions are evaluated by an expert panel. Users whose submissions score highest receive an award from the manufacturer, which is often granted in exchange for the right to exploit the solution in its domain. Following the idea of evolutionary prototyping, we developed a TIC in cooperation with a manufacturer of sports goods. The TIC was launched as a pilot in one of the company's markets. Submissions were evaluated using the consensual assessment technique. The evaluation of this study provides suggestions for further research, but also implications for managers willing to explore TIC in their organization.     

Patent-based investment funds as innovation intermediaries for SMEs: In-depth analysis of reciprocal interactions,motives and fallacies

SMEs and academic spin-offs play an important role in generating innovations but face resource and competency constraints that have implications for commercializing their technologies. In two in-depth case studies we analyze how patent-based investment funds (PBIFs), operating as innovation intermediaries, help overcome these constraints. In contrast to other patent intermediaries, PBIFs acquire patents and patentable inventions at an early stage of technology development when access to capital is particularly critical. They invest in the technological and legal advancement of their portfolio, which is mostly conducted in close interaction with the technology-providing SMEs and their original inventors. These PBIFs not only provide high added-value in the course of technology commercialization but also operate international networks to facilitate the commercialization of SMEs' technologies at an international scale. Although PBIFs are a promising new agent in the heterogeneous field of innovation intermediaries, their commercialization results and the actual rate of returns are not yet well established.     

Currency crises and the stock market: empirical evidence for another type of twin crisis

We explore the dependency between currency crises and the stock market in emerging economies. Our focus is two-fold. First, the risk of a currency crisis rises as the foreign stake in the domestic stock market increases. Successful economies with high capital flows into their booming stock markets especially are prone to stock market-induced currency crises. Second, we apply the dividend growth model to show that stock markets crash in the run-up to a currency crisis. This new type of twin crisis is empirically tested by employing a logit framework using quarterly data for 33 emerging economies for 1994Q1–2007Q4.     

Zur optimalen Abfolge von Investitionsprojekten

Zusammenfassung  Wenn Unternehmen bei beschr?nkten Kapazit?ten mehrere Investitionsprojekte durchführen k?nnen, stellt sich die Frage nach der optimalen Reihenfolge dieser Projekte. Ein Entscheidungskriterium in Analogie zur Annuit?t kann zur Bestimmung der optimalen Abfolge herangezogen werden. Bestehen für die Projekte zeitliche Restriktionen in Form von sp?test zul?ssigen Endterminen, so kann die optimale Abfolge nur noch mit einem nicht-linearen Modell ermittelt werden. Dieses Modell kann in ein gemischt-ganzzahliges lineares Programm transformiert und mit g?ngigen Softwarepaketen gel?st werden.      

A multi-level perspective on the introduction of hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles

Alternative vehicles powered by electricity or hydrogen hold the potential to solve a number of challenges that relate to automobile use, such as climate change, deterioration of local air quality, security of energy supply, and high fuel prices. This article addresses the question as to how a transition to vehicles powered by hydrogen or electricity could take place. Recognizing that transitions result from joint development of technology and society, a co-evolutionary, multi-level perspective is adopted. The perspective is used to analyze the dynamics of the relationship between car manufacturers and consumers and developments that put pressure on this relationship. Building on the analysis, two sets of scenarios for a transition to battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles are identified. In one set of scenarios, tightening emissions regulation stimulates carmakers to scale up experiments with alternative vehicles, moving them into the commercialization phase. In the other set, rising fuel prices prompt carmakers to first extend their current product line-up with plug-in versions, and later with battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles. The two scenarios have different implications for the actors involved and for the requisite supporting infrastructure.     

Neue Anforderungen an optimierende Energiesystemmodelle für die Kraftwerkseinsatz- und Zubauplanung bei begrenzten Netzkapazitäten

Recent changes in energy economic frameworks conditions lead to new requirements for energy systems models. Particularly in Germany, structural and locational changes in the power plant sector can be observed. Above all, this is due to the liberalisation process entailing the legal unbundling of system operators and generation companies as well as to the ambitious aims for the extension of wind energy. Consequently, modelling energy systems as single node systems, in which network constraints are neglected, can lead to suboptimal results. Most energy systems models offer the possibility to limit interregional energy exchange capacities. However, these so-called transhipment models normally neglect the actual load flows. Yet, there are several possibilities to adequately consider the characteristics of power transmission. In this paper, the most popular approaches, which are used in particular technical applications, such as the AC- (Alternating Current), the DC- (Direct Current) and the PTDF- (Power Transfer Distribution Factors) approach are introduced and discussed with respect to their application in energy systems models. In addition, first experiences with their implementations are presented.