Technological innovation and diffusion of wind power in Japan

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the diffusion of wind power in Japan by focusing on the value chain and the interaction between technology and markets and to contribute towards recommendations on technology policy and management. This paper proposes a framework for analyzing the early stage diffusion of wind power systems by combining the use of several approaches considering wind power system as a complex technological system. Firstly, the business system approach is used as an analytical framework by focusing on efficiency, effectiveness and development criteria. As a second approach, the technological trajectory was analyzed based on the concept of technological disequilibrium and the evolutionary patterns of innovation of wind power generation systems were analyzed and the relationship between innovations at the sub-system, modular, and system level was identified. We apply the framework to investigate why wind power diffusion has not picked up momentum in Japan.The results include the following: (1) Technological imbalances within the product system were solved by technological innovation (2) The wind power business in Japan is insufficiently effective due to organizational disequilibrium (3) The technology system has begun to evolve in the direction of micro grid systems. (4) It is important to consider the demand-pull measures for wind power generation so that Japanese institution can have a “time slot” for ”learning by doing” to catch up and accelerate diffusion of wind power generation, including institutional reform of RPS law. Also further technological development related to stabilizing unstable wind energy is required.     

湖北省能源消费与经济增长的关系研究

能源是经济和社会发展的重要物质基础,和经济发展息息相关。文章对湖北省能源消费的现状和特点进行分析,然后利用湖北省1980-2010年的年度数据对湖北省能源消费和经济增长之间的关系进行检验。研究结果显示,湖北省能源消费与经济增长之间存在长期稳定的关系,但不存在因果关系。通过对湖北省能源消费弹性系数的测算,发现湖北省能源弹性系数较高,能源利用率有待提高。     

Pre-Harvest Price Expectations for Corn: The Information Content of USDA Reports and New Crop Futures

This article examines the puzzle of why futures prices continue to react to USDA crop reports despite the fact that reports appear to be no longer newsworthy, that is, provide no better production estimates than private forecasts. The information value of reports is measured in terms of their influence on rational agents' harvest-time corn price expectations, which are uncovered using a Hamilton-type modeling approach. Results show that reports are still newsworthy, as they would contribute to agents' price expectations if released a day early. Thus futures price reactions, which closely reflect price expectations, are rational and consistent with efficient markets hypothesis.     

System of crop intensification for more productive,resource-conserving,climate-resilient,and sustainable agriculture: experience with diverse crops in varying agroecologies

With continually increasing demand for food accompanied by the constraints of climate change and the availability and quality of soil and water, the world’s farmers are challenged to produce more food per hectare with less water, and with fewer agrochemical inputs if possible. The ideas and methods of the system of rice intensification which is improving irrigated rice production are now being extended/adapted to many other crops: wheat, maize, finger millet, sugarcane, tef, mustard, legumes, vegetables, and even spices. Promoting better root growth and enhancing the soil’s fertility with organic materials are being found effective means for raising the yields of many crop plants with less water, less fertilizer, reduced seeds, fewer agrochemicals, and greater climate resilience. In this article, we review what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. More research will be needed to verify the efficacy and impact of these innovations and to clarify their conditions and limits. But as no negative effects for human or environmental health have been identified, making these agronomic options more widely known should prompt more investigation and, to the extent justified by results, utilization of these methodologies.     

能源消费与广东经济增长的动态特征研究

能源消费与经济增长密切相关。本文运用基于向量自回归模型、脉冲响应函数和方差分解方法,对广东省1985～2008年能源消费与经济增长两者之间的关系进行实证研究。研究结果表明,广东省经济增长对能源消费具有较强的依赖性,经济增长对能源消费贡献率较低。     

能源企业技术创新能力对财务绩效的影响——基于企业规模的门槛效应研究

能源消费和供给的重要性使得政府给予能源企业技术创新更多关注和支持,能源企业经营存在较大风险使得能源企业技术创新能力对财务绩效的影响呈现一定特殊性。以我国能源企业2013-2018年技术创新投入与产出能力指标为样本数据,采用因子分析法和动态面板门槛效应模型,在评价能源企业技术创新能力的基础上,分别研究能源企业技术创新投入和产出能力对财务绩效的影响及企业规模门槛效应。研究结果表明,能源企业的技术创新投入和综合能力对财务绩效的影响存在显著的门槛效应,而产出能力的表现并不显著。研究结果可为国家和能源企业的技术政策制定和创新投入决策提供参考。     

实现可再生能源法律保障的若干政策建议

《修正案》全面地体现出我国以立法形式对可再生能源的发展提供阶段性扶持、培育与引导的初衷。文章从加强国家的全局统筹力度、建立保障性收购制度、引导企业提高核心技术能力、加强可再生能源发展的资金保障等几个方面对《修正案》进行了解读,从法律与市场主体行为间的联动机制、经济性、各级政府的分解落实、监督配套机制、电价制定机制和可再生能源发展基金的具体管理与运作等方面,分析了《修正案》在实施过程中可能遇到的困惑及立法的局限性,提出了有针对性的建议。