Nicolas Crettenand

The Alignment between Institutions and Technology in Network Industries

Network industries, such as electricity, railways and air transport, are very complex technical, economic, and political systems in which the alignment between technology and institutions has a significant impact on performance. This alignment has been studied based on the coherence framework which aims to measure the alignment between technology and institutions in the case of network industries. It can be stated that technology has to be supported by institutions aligned with them (and vice versa) in order to deliver a given performance. This leads to a co-evolution between institutions and technology in network industries. This paper reviews the literature on the coherence framework, identifies its weaknesses, and contributes to the further development of the framework. It concludes with challenges for further research.

New Renewable Energy Promotion Approach for Rural Electrification in Cameroon

Rural electrification in Cameroon was in the past planned by the Government through the Ministry of Water and Energy. This issue was addressed through grid extension using three-phase medium voltage, a single wire earth return solution, or off-grid thermal plants for remote localities. Because the architecture of the electricity grid is radial isolated, this leads to many technical problems and a limited rate of electrification, especially in remote areas. The country learned a lot from failures and realized that the rural electrification solutions were yet to come. In order to really tackle the rural electrification problem, a dedicated Agency for Rural Electrification was created, bringing new approaches.

Holistic Approach to Sufficient, Reliable, and Efficient Electricity Supply in Hospitals of Developing Countries: Cameroon Case Study

While health technology has shown constant improvements in industrialized countries, developing countries have not been able to take full advantage of this evolution, partly because of unstable power supplies. According to a World Health Organization study, grid failures are responsible for one-third of medical device breakdowns. Therefore, the global slogan “Health for All in the Third Millennium” requires a reliable and sustainable electricity supply in hospitals. This paper presents a power backup and electricity stabilization system that takes into account the technical constraints, as well as the socioeconomic factors, impacting the electricity supply in Cameroonian hospitals. The implementation of technological solutions has to be adapted to the socio-institutional context of the hospital. Preliminary sociological studies highlight the impact of organizational culture, hierarchy, and professional education on the way that technical equipment is installed and maintained, as well as the way that supply failures are addressed. From an economic perspective, technical weaknesses imply higher energy costs and lower revenues. Preliminary studies suggest that the costs incurred in the installation and maintenance of a stable electric system can partly be compensated through energy saving and additional medical treatments resulting from the increased availability of medical devices. The problem tree analysis method (PTAM) used in this paper allows the identification of interactions between technical and socioeconomic factors leading to electricity breakdown and, hence, to the development of more holistic solutions for the supply of electricity to hospitals. Because of its multi-dimensional nature, this project actively involves scholars from the North and South who are specialized in engineering, social and political sciences, and management.

The alignment framework

This article provides an overview of the alignment framework, also called the coherence framework. Its aim is twofold, as it first documents the recent improvements of the framework and secondly outlines the conceptual foundations for the case studies of this special issue. The framework is in fact a tool for the evaluation of the performance of the network industries. As such, it is based upon an assessment of the degree of alignment between the related technologies and institutions. More precisely, the article starts out by reviewing the constituting parts of the framework, followed by a discussion of three improvements to the framework, namely the refinement of the alignment definition, the development of the role of the actors, as well as further contributions to the role of convergence and innovation. Finally, the link between alignment and performance is discussed in more detail.

The facilitation of mini and small hydropower in Switzerland through institutional mechanisms

Within the context of the liberalisation of the electricity sector, the governments aim to increase renewable energy sources and post-Kyoto regulation, this paper aims to identify and develop institutional mechanisms to facilitate mini and small hydropower in Switzerland. Based on the literature of co-evolution between institutions and technology, and based on the coherence framework, four institutional perspectives are elaborated: Small-scale hydropower needs a technical quality label; small-scale pump-storage schemes should be explored as distributed options for energy storage; the Swiss design of CO 2 -credits should include hydropower; and transaction costs for small-scale projects should be reduced. In conclusion, it is primarily the institutions which must evolve further to be aligned with the mature mini and small hydropower technologies. This will lead to the development of these renewable technologies.