Projects

The use of the controversial herbicide glyphosate is currently only permitted in the EU until 2022. Therefore, the International Union of Railways has commissioned the IZT to test and optimize more environmentally friendly methods in order to keep the European rail network free of plant growth. more...

The results of a German project about climate-friendly school kitchens will be transferred to the local conditions in Poland in Cooperation with the Polish city network for energy efficiency (PNEC). The aim is to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions created by the preparation of school lunch. more...

In anticipation of the renewal of the German law on electronic devices (ElektroG), the IZT is examining how large quantities of smartphones, tablets etc. can be recycled at high grade. Focal points of the investigation are critical metals and flame-retardant plastics. more...

What are the opportunities and risks presented by new food items, which are primarily aimed at replacing products from agricultural livestock production? The IZT project promotes objective and reflected discussions among young people on this topic. more...

The IZT uses methods of futures studies to identify relevant resource-political trends in society. Subsequently, scientists assess these trends according to their effect on the world’s climate and resource consumption. The goal of the project is to suggest appropriate resource and climate policy measures to the Umweltbundesamt. more...

From weight training to menstruation cycles – many young people see measuring and digitally recording personal data and as a common practice. The project "LogMySelf" intends to introduce adolescents to the benefits and risks of "lifelogging" and provide them with new skills in this area. more...

This research project aims to shape internal crowdsourcing in companies to make it fair for employees. The goal is to create a cross-sector reference model together with the Berlin energy service provider GASAG. more...

The research project will create insight into the value system and development of norms in an ageing society marked by diversity and the use of modern technology. The goal is a well-founded catalogue of criteria for health policies and for those working in healthcare. more...

The electronic health card should contain integrated medical emergency data on a voluntary basis, such as existing diagnoses. The IZT analyses together with a research partner the risks of the planned emergency data management. The new project started in April 2017. more...

IZT evaluates the project “Support of market monitoring” that is part of the German National Action Plan Energy Efficiency (NAPE). In the project, methods for testing the energy efficiency of electrical appliances are optimised. more...

The use of Glyphosate as a herbicide has become increasingly controversial in the EU. Therefore, the International Union of Railways commissioned the IZT to propose more eco-friendly solutions to keep the European rail network free of plant growth. more...

A new project at the IZT is dedicated to the impact of algorithms on the formation of public opinion. The IZT is coordinating this study as a member of the consortium, in cooperation with the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag. Two surveys will be conducted in correlation to this study. more...

The EU guideline for airborne pollutants was tightened. The Umweltbundesamt commissioned scientists to develop new projections for the emissions of Germany from 2020 to 2035, to determine if the national mitigation measures are sufficient. more...

This project of the Institute for Applied Ecology and the IZT examined energy storage systems in industrial manufacturing. The focus of this ecological and economic review were power storage systems that small and medium sized enterprises (SME) can utilize for fabrication. more...

Apprentices should learn as of 2017 to work as "ResourceScouts", and encourage resource conservation and efficiency within their companies. A training module in accordance to this was developed during this project. more...

The IZT composed a guidebook that supports the integration of humanities, social and cultural sciences into the research projects of the universities of applied sciences in Vienna. more...

The Stakeholder-Survey among participating cities in the competition "Energy-Efficient City" was part of the research accompanying the competition. more...

IZT evaluates the German National energy efficiency label for old heating installations. The goal of the labelling is to prompt more owners to replace their old heating installations by new, more efficient facilities. more...

In the project a systemic model will be developed, in order to assess and to make visible the impacts of resource efficiency measures on greenhouse gas emissions. more...

Together with the city of Potsdam the possibilities that new forms of collaborative living offer for city development are researched. more...

Operating today’s rail stations is a complex affair with numerous activities and multi-level priorities to be managed on a daily basis while at the same time planning for the medium and long-term future. more...

In the project we developed simple short video clips in various languages explaining typical environmental behavior in Germany. more...

Scientists analyse all processes from purchase to waste disposal in 24 canteens in elementary schools. Subsequently menus and processes are optimized to maximize CO2 and energy savings. more...

The project developed various future scenarios of the global motorcycle markets. The project was commissioned by BMW Motorrad, the only major manufacturer of motorcycles with high-capacity engines in Germany. more...

Scientists analyse all processes from purchase to waste disposal in 24 canteens in elementary schools. Subsequently menus and processes are optimized to maximize CO2 and energy savings. more...

The project will outline potential scenarios related to the course of the region in the medium (2025) and long (2040) term. The project will sharpen the European understanding of the region with a view to highlighting the potential strategies and policies that the EU is called upon to adopt in order to make its role in the region more effective. more...

IZT will perform an innovation analysis on "Health Apps" in line with consortium partnership with The Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag – TAB more...

The use of devices and applications for self-measurement and self-optimization has become widespread in recent years. This trend to self-measure is called "Quantified Self". The projectexplored this phenomenon from different angles in Switzerland. more...

IZT evaluates the German National Top-Runner Initiative with the goal of promoting energy efficient products in penetrating markets at an increasing speed. more...

In the run-up to the Climate Change Conference of 2015 in Paris, the WWF started an online course about climate change. Simultaneously, the IZT obtained the assignment to evaluate this MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). more...

Discrimination risks in Germany relative to boys and men, their distribution and Main-tenance and public perception as well as possible protection gaps. more...

The network "Education for Resource Efficiency and Resource Conservation" will continue to exist beyond the end of the first project funding phase until 2019. It develops educational materials and organizes network conferences. more...

This project aims for an integrated strategy to transform our economic system into a green economy. Economic growth should be accompanied by ecological sustainability and social justice. more...

IN2RAIL is co-funded by the EU Commission with 18 million Euro. Infrastructure managers such as Deutsche Bahn, Network Rail (UK) and SNCF as well as manufacturers such as Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens cooperate in this project. IN2RAIL is to set the foundations for a resilient, consistent, cost-efficient, high capacity European railway network. more...

The project identified relevant long-term processes of transformation and their impacts for companies, academic institutions and political stakeholders in the context of MINT (mathematics, information sciences, natural sciences, and technology). more...

What are the pros and cons of "smart drugs"? Why do young people increasingly use prescription drugs to increase their academic performance? Once again, the IZT leads a project discussing social and ethical questions of the life sciences. more...

The project „PeerSharing“ works on the innovative Online-Platforms, which arrange rental, purchase or exchange of products and services from private people. “PeerSharing” is still a niche product, but holds considerable dynamics. more...

On behalf of the largest German transmission system operator AMPRION the IZT conducted an internal study on megatrends in the energy industry. more...

The IZTconducted a research project on the topic „new electronic media and addictive behavior“. more...

The project analyzed, evaluated and developed substitution strategies to prevent failure of environmental technologies due to raw material shortages. more...

Which projects and initiatives have the potential to shape the image of Berlin’s future sustainability? The aim of this project was to identify these fields of interest and to illustrate them with new practical approaches. more...

In cooperation with the Berlin’s Chamber of Crafts a new training concept for training energy consultants was developed, with a focus on interactive learning materials. more...

Again, the IZT evaluated part of the energy research funding of the Federal Government. This time, the subject is not industry, but the building sector. more...

The IZT supported a research project for the cooperation of family members, specialists and volunteers in case of dementia. more...

The IZT was commisioned by the operator of the science and technology park Adlershof to analyze the current potential of hybrid energy systems at the Adlershof site. more...

The IZT analyzes current developments in the field of online civic participation at national and European level. In addition, the IZT presents best practices from the perspective of participation platform operator and from the user perspective as well. more...

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This project was intended to raise awareness in young adults for the topic "Green IT” – with multimedia information on mobile devices. more...

The IZT, together with the Research Community Intralogistics, explored processes of transformation in this sector. The intralogistics sector is specialized in the logistics within companies. The parting from the full capacity model in an era of volatile markets was central to the project. more...

The goal of this endeavor was a consistent distinction between emissions that require trading and those that do not. more...

“Successful regional transformation processes. Potential futures for the Ruhr region“. Under this headline, the IZT prepared international impulses for change along the Ruhr. more...

The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) received recommendations from this research project that can improve the motivational function and the effectiveness of the guiding principle “Sustainable Development”. more...

The ZVEI - German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers renewed its collaboration with the IZT and commissioned an integrated roadmap for its member companies in the automation sector. The following two fields of the future are in focus: industrial biotechnology and recycling of materials as a source of raw materials. The time frame extends to the years 2025+. more...

IZT evaluated part of BMWi's project funding in the 5th Energy Research Programme in respect of three dimensions, "target performance", "impact" and "efficiency". more...

Present energy system models are mainly based on techno-economical input parameters whereas social or political factors are neglected. This project explored an approach to include social acceptance in energy system modeling, focusing on electricity transmission grid expansion projects in Germany. more...

The European Climate Foundation in Brussels (ECF) wanted an assessment of the extend to which the European Commission's planned decarbonisation is on track. Therefore the IZT organized a Delphi survey among more than 100 experts in the field of energy transition in Europe. more...

The societal trends and challenges most relevant for the conference and conventions industry were investigated. For this purpose the IZT developed a scenario for the year 2030th using various methods of futures research The aim was to offer guidance to meeting planners and other interested actors. more...

The research project "BilRess" aims at anchoring resource conservation and resource efficiency in all areas of education. more...

This project has the intention to produce an exploratory study about case studies from communities on their measures and activities focussed on demografic change which also have additional positive effects for environmental protection. more...

The survey of residents for the overall project has been extended by the IZT to include questions relating to the use and social impact of new media and their effect on the structure of the physical environment. more...

"Young people dealing with ethical, legal and social questions about predictive genetic diagnostics" is a research programme focused on the ethical, legal and social consequences of gene technology and encouragement of young people's participation in discussion processes in society. more...

By order of NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION UNION (NABU) the IZT will identifiy 'green' future technologies which promise on the one hand high environmental impacts and for which a particular resource economic relevance can be attested on the other hand. In the following the short-term study aims to provide an overview of companies which offer products based on 'green' future technologies and which are particularly interested in resource conservation. more...

Cities and communities need to act for climate protection, reduce consumption of primary energy sources and lessen their ecological footprint. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) therefore initiated the Competition „Energy-Efficient City“. more...

The goal of the project is to describe the state-of-the-art with regards to the user acceptance to integrate electric cars in smart grids. In this context, we will particularly analyse using patterns and incentives that will have an impact on the potential of using electric cars for maintaining a supply guarantee in times of an increasing share of renewable and fluctuating energy sources. more...

The project aims to analyse generation equity strategies of local authorities, to discuss relevant actions and to publish a guideline ("LBS future compass") on generation equity. more...

It is getting analyzed which institutional and procedural innovations with regard to Sustainable Policies have been created and utilized in selected parliaments. In cooperation with FFU good examples are analyzed and recommendations for improvements developed. more...

The KfW Group has commissioned a study to IZT in order to identify economically important non-fuel minerals and metals that could face severe supply problems. more...

How does resource-efficient and climate-friendly information technology for schools look like? How can students learn important things about "Green IT"? The project “Green IT” commissioned by the German Environment Agency focused on these questions. more...

Die monetäre Bewertung der Umweltleistung von Unternehmen stand bisher im Fokus der Forschergruppe "Sustainable Value Reasearch" und des IZT. In diesem Projekt jedoch wurde der Ansatz erstmals auf Produkte und Dienstleistungen übertragen. Dank der Unterstützung des Flugzeugbauers EADS, war beispielhaft ein erster Vergleich der Umweltleistung verschiedener Passagiertransportsysteme möglich. more...

May 2012 the „Conference on Sustainable Development - Rio+20 is taking place in Rio de Janeiro. In the first phase of this research project ending in March, 2012, it is planned to create an overview of Local Agenda 21 initiatives in Germany as well as of sustainability engagement at the local, city level in Germany. Through this it will be learned which innovative potentials can be associated with various groups of actors with respect to necessary transformation processes serving a sustainable development. more...

Today’s extreme weather will become tomorrow’s normal weather. The project ARISCC is therefore aimed to develop and implement appropriate adaptation strategies for international railway infrastructure design, components and processes. more...

IZT is developing scenarios to asses the future material demand for drive technologies on behalf of the German "Forschungsvereingung Antriebstechnik (FVA)". more...

The use of localisation technologies is growing daily. Some applications making use of these certainly offer the advantages of rapid geopositioning. Nevertheless, they do also raise a number of controversial issues, ranging from fears of privacy being restricted to the risk of abuse. The purpose of this interdisciplinary study is to enable an evaluation of the opportunities and risks of localisation technologies in the economics, work and leisure domains. more...

This project is part of a strategy of the German Federal Environment Agency to enhance an integrated sustainability policy. Policy and stakeholder analyses are conducted to identify trade-offs and potential synergies in order to prepare a systematic and participatory scenario process. more...

On behalf of ADAC, the German automobile club, a set of future labs and scenario workshops have been conducted to obtain normative and action-oriented perspectives for everyday life mobility of the future. more...

Together with the project partners IZT will create a value-based environmental sustainability analysis of Nordic companies using the Sustainable Value approach (www.sustainablevalue.com). The analysis will feed into the development of a Nordic value rating and the construction of a Nordic value index. more...

The European Directive on Emissions from Non-Road Mobile Machinery (97/68/EC) includes the Stage III B exhaust emission values for railway application which will come into force from 2011 onwards. These values are a challenge to operators, manufacturers and suppliers and new solutions for clean exhaust emissions have to be found. The four years project is build on the basis of several application sub-projects that will enable the industry to evaluate the different solutions to be applied to rail systems in real operating conditions. more...

The scope of the project „e-fit: continuous vocational training in the renewable energy field“ is to design eLearning scenarios for vocational education and training. Target learning situations are vocational preparation as well as further education. Target learners are craftsmen, architects, engineers, trainees and company employees. Each eLearning scenario treats one single renewable energy technology. more...

The research project has the aim to illustrate the role of biomass for a decentralized energy supply of peripheral regions. Biomass as exclusive energy carrier or as one out of others can be determined as promoter of a decentralized energy supply, particularly having in mind security of energy supplies and services of general interest. In order to optimize the use of biomass, it is necessary to focus more precisely on spatial and technical preconditions. more...

Jointly with four European partners, IZT has entered a framework contract with the European Parliament (EP) on the provision of scientific consultancy services on energy issues to STOA — the EP’s Scientific Technology Options Assessment panel. The consortium is going to deliver expert opinions and studies. more...

In the years 2005-2008, the environmental communication project powerado had achieved an extraordinary response. Approximately 58,000 multiplicators, children and young people, as well as other parties interested in renewable energies, could be reached with the project and its modules. more...

The project "From pilot project to common practice – Incentives for sustainable development actors" aims to analyse the experiences of sustainable development actors with the adoption of pilot projects. The results will be published in a practical guide on the the transfer of pilot projects in the common practice of local authorities and initiatives. more...

The attitudes of young people towards sustainable development are ambivalent: a decreasing interest in environmental topics is juxtaposed with a high awareness of major societal themes. Ten recommendations for better communication with young people were developed in the project. more...

In collaboration with the project partners, IZT analysis the creation of Sustainable Value among selected companies in the chemical sector. This assessement includes 13 sustainability-indicators and covers a period of four years. more...

The main aim of the EnerKey project is to develop and apply an effective concept for a sustainable energy and climate protection structure in the City Region of Gauteng, South Africa. The project is driven by a strategic collaboration of German and South African research institutes, as well as city administrations from Johannesburg, Erkuhuleni and Tshwane, the Gauteng provincial government as well as further implementing agents of South Africa and Germany. more...

The project analyses how ownership - primarily, but not exclusively financial ownership - contributes to the acceptance of renewables. IZT develops easy-to-implement ownership concepts for renewable powerplants. The concepts are being developed and validated in a participatory process with local actors from different regions in Germany. more...

The goal of this research project is to develop a practical handbook presenting best practice examples and summarizing success factors for cooperation of Agenda 21 initiatives with science and businesses. more...

Fifteen years after the Conference for Environment and Development in Rio, there is a wealth of experience today on how to implement the Agenda 21 on the local and regional level. This experience provides the basis for improving the work of local sustainability initiatives, in particular for developing their strategic, tactical and methodological orientations. In order to successfully continue the work of sustainability initiatives, it is necessary to provide opportunities for ongoing exchange, further education and cooperation.The congress is expected to establish a Germany-wide platform for exchange and networking and will take place in a different location each year. more...

The project’s objective is to improve the German Federal Environment Agency’s emission inventory, i.e. filling gaps and improving on weaknesses. An evaluation of emissions declarations in line with the 11th ordinance (11. BImSchV) to the German ‘Clean Air Act’ (Bundesimmissionsschutzgesetz - BImSchG) will therefore be carried out. Such emissions declarations are to be submitted to the federal authorities by all facilities which are in need of an environmental permit. more...

Due to plausible scenarios of infectious disease threats facing the EU in the year 2020, this project support the information of key stakeholders and guide future planning on the key threats from communicable diseases facing the European Union. more...

In Germany, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) assesses health risks and draws up recommendations on risk reduction to strengthen consumer health protection. It was the purpose of this research project to analyze and evaluate the institute's message-centered approach to risk communication in-depth. more...

The world's largest auction site eBay participated in an IZT-research project exploring online trading with second hand goods comprehensively for the first time. The researchers wanted to know which opportunities for sustainable consumption arise from the trend towards rotating ownership. more...

The European Union aims at achieving a share of 20 % of renewable energy by 2020. The different starting points (e.g. existing energy mix), specific framework conditions, and basic resource potentials of the Member States will be taken into consideration in order to provide a fair increase for all Member states and based on that background, derive appropriate national expansion goals. It is the responsibility of Member States to break down the overall targets into sector specific goals. Further more, the Member States can pursue the most cost effective path through cooperation with other Member States. more...

The ultimate objective of the EFONET project is to assess the contribution that current knowledge on energy foresight methods and on their practical application can provide to energy policy making - specifically in the framework of the transition towards a sustainable and low carbon energy system. more...

The "Integrated Technology Roadmap Automation 2020+" continues the roadmapping activities started in 2005 for the "Automation Association" of "the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers e.V. (ZVEI)". Based on socio-economic trends orientation knowledge is provided for future needs of automation in the future markets of energy, water and sewage as well as megacities. more...

With regard to the challenges and questions for the future of development, this study aims at identifying different methodological scenario approaches focusing their scopes, strengths and weaknesses. The study will discuss which instruments seem to be particularly appropriate for strategic orientation of development politics and policy. more...

Mobility is a basic human need like working, dwelling, supply, education or leisure. Transport is, however, the most important source of CO2-emissions, and therefore considerably contributes to climate change. Moreover, about a third of the total energy consumption is dedicated to the transport sector. more...

For buildings, there is still an energy reduction potential of up to 30 %, which can be materialized partly by behavioral changes among residents. The BewareE project aimed at stimulating this change of attitude and at enhancing the implementation of "energy services" in cooperation with housing organizations and companies. more...

Forests grow slowly. Many of the trees that are planted today will not be ready to cut down and use by 2100. The strategic direction and decisions of today will have a noticeable impact upon forests and land use in the future. Therefore, systematic preparations for the world of tomorrow are important. more...

The aim of the “Internet discussion forum for young people: interactive genetic research” project is to introduce young people to the processes of public debate using the example of genetic research on humans. more...

Having made a lot of positive experience with the constructive impacts of scenario methods, the IZT conducts this study to apply and enhance the use of scenarios in the support of strategic R&D processes. more...

Biomass, mostly in form of charcoal, is the predominant source of bioenergy in households with low income of rural areas in southern Africa. Due to rising population growth and persistent poverty pressure on the forest increases. more...

Lack of access to funding on terms that suit the needs of riskier, growth-oriented technology development enterprises is often cited by technology developers as a significant barrier to innovation, development and commercialisation. This is particularly the case for investments in environmental technologies, which are often considered riskier than alternative technology investments. more...

Despite of both national and international emission reduction measures, load projection imply that Germany will continue to suffer considerable exceedances of the ambient air limit values for particulate matter PM10. more...

Over the past ten years, many energy suppliers have provided photovoltaic installations free of charge to numerous schools. A number of installations have also been financed by state and federal funds or by foundations. In Berlin alone, for example, there are a total of 100 such schools. more...

In several sectors of industrial research an accelerating trend towards outsourcing of research and development tasks can be observed. This study analyzes the significance and importance of this trend. more...

The study’s focus is to analyse and compare international research strategies in the field of energy storage in countries and regions with important research activities. der Energiespeicherforschung ausgewertet und verglichen. more...

The new project “International Research Network on Social and Environmental Aspects in Business and Management“ will establish a worldwide network of research institutions in order to foster the conceptual and methodological exchange on innovative research on environmental and social aspects in business and management. more...

In this project we apply for the first time the value-based logic used in the financial markets to eco-ratings. We assess the environmental and economic performance of listed companies and thus demonstrate the feasibility of value-based eco-ratings on a first full scale. more...

The acceptance and support of a wide range of strata of the population and of decision-makers is urgently needed for the continued expansion of renewable energies towards being the primary means for energy and electricity provision. Addressing the accumulated questions, strategies will be developed in a series of workshops involving the relevant decision-makers, as to how the acceptance of renewable energy technologies can be funded and how their use on a regional and local level can be intensified. more...

The project is co-ordinated by the European Institute for Energy Research (EIfER - University of Karlsruhe) and the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI - Hyderabad). A inter-disciplinary consortium of German and Indian research institutions as well as of regional and local Indian authorities has been established. The aim of SHAKTI is to conjointly formulate and implement integrated projects and fostering solutions for sustainable development of Hyderabad as a mega city of tomorrow. more...

This project explored effective communication that could promote children and youth’s interest in renewable energy. The scientists and practitioners involved developed materials in nine modules for different age groups as well as for instructors. more...

Fortschreibung anspruchsvoller technischer Umweltstandards von thermischen Solarkollektoren unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der selektiven Beschichtung ihrer Absorberoberfläche. more...

Display-Technologien sind einem raschen Wandel ausgesetzt. Während die klassischen Röhrenbildschirme gegenwärtig durch vorwiegend in Asien produzierte LCD-Flachbildschirme ersetzt werden, sind die Nachfolgetechnologie bereits in Sicht: selbstleuchtende OLED-Displays sowie auch die papierähnlichen Foliendisplays (u.a. für elektronische Zeitungen bestimmt). more...

Megacities of tomorrow have a crucial role to play in transition towards global sustainable development. One of the key issues they have to address to implement sustainability is to solve the energy question: Secure energy supply, equitable access to energy resources and ecologically friendly energy production and use are fundamental prerequisites for sustainabledevelopment of the world and of Megacities in particular. more...

The success or the failure of innovations is not merely depending on the reactions of those who are directly affected.i.e. companies, market players or regulating institutions. It is also influenced by the wider public sphere not necessarily restricted to national boundaries. more...

Railenergy is an Integrated Project co-funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Development. The main objective of Railenergy project is to address energy efficiency of the integrated railway system and to investigate and validate solutions ranging from the introduction of innovative traction technologies, components and layouts to the development of rolling stock, operation and infrastructure management strategies. more...

In this project the newly developed Sustainable Value approach was applied to German companies on a large scale and tested in practice for the first time. more...

SVAPPAS is the acronym for Sustainable Value Analysis of Policy and Performance in the Agricultural Sector. This EU financed Sixth Framework project, running from February 2007 till February 2010, brings together nine research groups from different European countries, including Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy and Finland. more...

This work is an attempt to map and compare the publicly funded research efforts carried out by the EC and Member States in the EU and those undertaken in the US and in Japan. more...

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The research plan “Experience Renewable Energies: powerado” aims to investigate effective means of communication for promoting renewable energies to children and young people. In nine modules, designed for various age-groups and for multipliers, resources will be developed, which can be used to determine successful communication strategies for renewable energies. more...

EurEnDel is the first Europe wide Energy Delphi 700 European energy experts participated in a two round Delphi process on technological developments, market trends and social visions for Europe's Energy Future. more...

The objective of the project is to further develop the instrument of Roadmapping in order to identify innovation paths for a sustainable information society. more...

The DECENT study was designed and carried out to identify the main barriers and success factors to the implementation of DG projects within the EU and to formulate a number of related recommendations to EU and Member State policy makers to enhance the feasibility of DG projects within the internal energy market. more...