Photovoltaic (PV) cells, onshore wind turbines, internet technologies, and storage technologies have the potential to fundamentally change electricity markets in the years ahead. Photovoltaic cells ...are the most disruptive energy technology as they allow consumers of all sizes to produce power by themselves—new actors in the power market can begin operating with a new bottom-up control logic. Unsubsidised PV markets may start to take off in 2013, fuelling substantial growth where PV power is getting cheaper than grid or diesel backup electricity for commercial consumers. Managing loads and achieving a good match between power consumption and weather-dependent power production will likely become a key issue. This consumption—production balance may trigger massive innovation and investment in energy management technologies involving different kinds of storage and controls. Increasing autonomy and flexibility of consumers challenges the top-down control logic of traditional power supply and pushes for a more decentralised and multi-layered system. How rapidly and smoothly this transformation occurs depends to a large extent on the adaptation speed of the regulatory framework and on the ability of market players to develop appropriate business models. The paper discusses conflicts of interest; hurdles and drivers; opportunities; and traps for this perspective.
► Accelerated cost decrease of photovoltaics rapidly changes all cost relations. ► PV power starts competing on the retail side, incentive policies lose control. ► Cheap solar self-supply pushes energy management and flexibility of prosumers. ► Prosumer flexibility challenges grids, requires variable tariffs in time and space. ► Bottom-up dynamics require new multi-level governance of grids and markets.
The question of how to achieve greater levels of sustainable development is intrinsically linked with the discussion concerning new forms of governance. Structural funds have become most influential ...in promoting sustainable development and appropriate forms of governance across the EU. They have been very important in introducing new innovative forms of co-ordination in many countries and have encouraged the mobilization of new political actors. Structural Funds can be considered as a most interesting laboratory for the development of new governance patterns, which are urgently needed for coping with accelerated change and increasing complexity. Multi-level governance in the spirit of subsidiarity will not be possible without flexible objective-oriented management approaches instead of the rigid attribution of competences. This requires new conceptual approaches, procedures, and instruments. 'SQM-Sustainable Quality Management®' is a coherent system for the conception, support, monitoring and evaluation of sustainable development processes. A series of pilot projects in the last five years have shown its potential and utility. The SQM system includes concepts, methods and operational tools that have proved to be applicable and comprehensible in different European cultures. Internet-based SQM software tools support every step in the policy cycle. Sustainable development is conceived as an overarching principle that governs the management of processes and covers all policy principles postulated by the EU. In the use of a common framework over the whole policy cycle and the coherent implementation of basic principles there is the promise of achieving better orientation towards sustainable development and considerable efficiency gains.
Abstract : At the beginning of the 21st century, the Alps are in an unprecedented situation where die capability of intercultural cooperation may have a strong influence on the future. European ...integration, improved accessibility of the valleys, the impact of new communication technologies, the rapidly increasint importance of global markets and a decreasing symbolic importance of the Alps all together lead to a « shrinking » of this exceptional mountain range situated in the middle of important European cities, urge to consider a larger context and open up a variety of new perspectives. Will it be possible to re-invent a specifically Alpine developement model despite all infernal differences, actively relating to the rich multicultural environment and taking care of the delicate natural and cultural heritage ? Or will the Alps fall apart in separate backyards of the large cities ? The article analyses the role of the Alpine Convention and explores the cooperation interests of different actors. It proposes to conceive the Alps as a laboratory for European coopération and calls for a systematic joining of forces between regional, national and European decision-making levels in the spirit of subsidiarity.
Résumé : En ce début du XIXe siècle, les Alpes se trouvent dans une situation inédite, où les capacités de coopération inter-culturelle pourraient s'avérer décisives dans le futur. L'intégration ...européenne, l'accessibilité plus aisée aux vallées, l'impact des nouvelles technologies de communication, l'importance sans cesse croissante des marchés mondiaux et une dépréciation symbolique des Alpes, menacent d'un déclin brutal ce cadre exceptionnel de montagnes, situé à l'intersection de villes européennes importantes, et imposent de considérer un contexte plus large et d'envisager un panel de nouvelles perspectives. Sera-t-il possible de réinventer un modèle de développement spécifiquement alpin, en dépit des différenciations internes, un modèle fondamentalement rattaché à ce riche environnement multiculturel, et attentif au fragile patrimoine culturel et naturel ? Ou bien les Alpes seront-elles condamnées à devenir l'arrière-cour des grandes métropoles ? Cet article analyse le rôle de la Convention alpine et explore les intérêts des différents acteurs pour la coopération. Il se propose de concevoir les Alpes comme un laboratoire de la coopération européenne et plaide pour un regroupement systématique des énergies entre les différents organes décisionnels : régionaux, nationaux et européens, dans un esprit de subsidiarité.
New concepts and tools for defining coherent systems of policy objectives and for evaluating actions and programmes are essential for the development of new forms of governance in Europe. The concept ...of sustainable development also points in this direction; the obligation to conceive and implement all European policies and programmes in accordance with the principles of sustainable development makes the development of appropriate assessment and management tools even more urgent. In order to be useful in multi-level European governance structures they have to fulfil a number of conditions. Sustainable Quality Management (SQM) is a coherent system for the conception, management and evaluation of sustainable development processes that was developed over the course of a series of European research and consultancy projects. The SQM system includes concepts, methods and operational tools that have proved to be applicable and comprehensible in different European cultures. A 'common language' facilitates the exchange of experiences and views between different contexts. Practical applications have shown that it is not always easy to introduce such new management thinking in established administrative structures but that it is possible to design operational tools that maintain the innovative and challenging character of the concept of sustainable development. Reprinted by permission of Greenleaf Publishing
New concepts and tools for defining coherent systems of policy objectives and for evaluating actions and programmes are essential for the development of new forms of governance in Europe. The concept ...of sustainable development also points in this direction; the obligation to conceive and implement all European policies and programmes in accordance with the principles of sustainable development makes the development of appropriate assessment and management tools even more urgent. In order to be useful in multi-level European governance structures they have to fulfil a number of conditions. Sustainable Quality Management® (SQM) is a coherent system for the conception, management and evaluation of sustainable development processes that was developed over the course of a series of European research and consultancy projects. The SQM system includes concepts, methods and operational tools that have proved to be applicable and comprehensible in different European cultures. A ‘common language’ facilitates the exchange of experiences and views between different contexts. Practical applications have shown that it is not always easy to introduce such new management thinking in established administrative structures but that it is possible to design operational tools that maintain the innovative and challenging character of the concept of sustainable development.
