Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was an attempt to analyse the relationship between Brent crude oil prices, the South African rand US$ exchange rate and fuel prices in South Africa. Covering the period between 2003 and 2013, the ultimate objective was to test if there is asymmetric prices adjustment between Brent crude oil prices and the rand US$ exchange rate, on the one hand, and retail fuel prices on the other hand. As a time-series analysis, the study used the Augmented Dickey Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests for stationarity, as well as some cointegration tests. The results show that the effect of the current crude oil price and the exchange rate between the ZAR and the US$ on current fuel prices is insignificant. Instead, the current fuel prices are affected mainly by the previous month’s fuel price, the crude oil price and the exchange rate. Furthermore, the results of the threshold autoregressive model (TAR) do not prove the presence of asymmetry in the fuel price adjustment on a month-to-month basis in South Africa. The conclusion here is that the basic fuel price model is aligned to its import parity objective of symmetric adjustment in fuel prices. However, there exist some structural inefficiencies in South Africa`s fuel market, therefore policymakers should address those short-term inefficiencies in the price transmission from crude oil to fuel prices.

This study is made up of two parts which explore some of the effects upon individual households making up a sample of a low income neighborhood in Portland. The first section in Chapter II presents a survey of sample households in our identified area, securing personal information given by adult members along with their responses to questions concerning effects on their budgets and the adaptations they have made to reduce the cost of fuel. The second section compares costs of fuel for January, February, and March of 1975 with the same months of 1974 for another sample in the same area. Amount of fuel was tabulated along with costs, and percentage increases or decreases were charted. The fortunate coincidence of the same three-month average temperature in downtown Portland for both years gave an especially good comparison. The monthly use of gas could be more accurately measured than the use of oil. None of our interviewed sample were found to use electricity as a primary source of heat.

published_or_final_version / Statistics / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

Concerns over both environmental issues and about the depletion of fossil fuels have acted as twin driving forces to the development of renewable energy and its integration into existing electricity grids. The variable nature of RE generators assessment affects the ability to balance supply and demand across electricity networks; however, the use of energy storage and demand-side response techniques is expected to help relieve this situation. One possibility in this regard might be the use of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen while producing industrial-scale DSR services. This would be facilitated by the use of tariff structures that incentive the operation of electrolysers as dispatchable loads. This research has been carried out to answer the following question: What is the feasibility of using electrolysers to provide industrial-scale of Demand-side Response for grid balancing while producing hydrogen at a competitive price? The hydrogen thus produced can then be used, and indeed sold, as a clean automotive fuel. To these ends, two common types of electrolyser, alkaline and PEM, are examined in considerable detail. In particular, two cost scenarios for system components are considered, namely those for 2015 and 2030. The coastal city of Darnah in Libya was chosen as the basis for this case study, where renewable energy can be produced via wind turbines and photovoltaics (PVs), and where there are currently six petrol stations serving the city that can be converted to hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs). In 2015 all scenarios for both PEM and alkaline electrolysers were considered and were found to be able to partly meet the project aims but with high cost of hydrogen due to the high cost of system capital costs, low price of social carbon cost and less government support. However, by 2030 the price of hydrogen price will make it a good option as energy storage and clean fuel for many reasons such as the expected drop in capital cost, improvement in the efficiency of the equipment, and the expectation of high price of social carbon cost. Penetration of hydrogen into the energy sector requires strong governmental support by either establishing or modifying policies and energy laws to increasingly support renewable energy usage. Government support could effectively bring forward the date at which hydrogen becomes techno-economically viable (i.e. sooner than 2030).

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper examines the price and income elasticity of demand for fuel products in Malawi. The data have been disaggregated into various sectors, agriculture, industry, construction, commercial transport, private motor vehicles and household, in order to fully understand the nature and magnitude of elasticity for each sector. Two methods were used - the simple economic method and the correlation coefficient method. This research covers a period of 10 years from 1995 to 2004. This period has been chosen in order to arrive at meaningful conclusions. The results show that each sector responds to price and income changes differently. The agricultural sector has been found to be inelastic to both price and income both in the short and long term. This sector, however, is sensitive to other factors like drought and currency depreciation. The industrial sector has been found to be very sensitive to both price and income changes both in the short and long term. The same trend has also been established for the construction sector and the commercial transport sector. In the private motor vehicle sector, petrol-powered private motor vehicles have been found to be inelastic to price as well as income both in the short and long term. The reason for this is lack of affordable alternative forms of transport. Tests for diesel-powered vehicles show very elastic results. The demand data may have been distorted by the fact that diesel demand for other equipment than vehicles could not be identified and it has been assumed that diesel bought at filling stations or reseller points is used by vehicles. There is evidence that diesel is also used for maize mills and generators. The household sector has been seen to be very sensitive to price and income changes. The reason for this is availability of substitutes such as charcoal, firewood and other forms of biomass fuel that are extensively used in rural areas. Income sensitivity is purely due to the fact that people in rural areas earn low income. The conclusions for the household sector are that first the government should remove the paraffin subsidy as it is not achieving its intended results. Secondly, the government should establish basic wages and also offer better prices to the subsistence sector. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die elastisiteit van prys en inkomste in die aanvraag na brandtstofprodukte in Malawi. Om die aard en omvang van die elastisiteit in elke sektor ten volle te verstaan, is die data gedesegregeer in verskeie sektore, naamlik landbou, nywerheid, die boubedryf, handelsvervoer, privaat motorvoertuie en die huishoudelike sektor. Twee metodes is gebruik: die eenvoudige ekonomiese metode en die korrelasie-koeffisient-metode. Hierdie navorsing beslaan 'n tydperk van tien jaar vanaf 1995 tot 2004. Die tydperk is gekies om sodoende betekenisvolle gevolgtrekkings te kan maak. Die resultate dui aan dat die sektore verskillend op veranderings in prys en inkomste reageer. Daar is bevind dat die landbousektor glad nie elasties is nie wat betref prys sowel as inkomste, sowel op die kort- as langtermyn. Hierdie sektor is egter sensitief vir ander faktore soos droogte en die depresiasie van die geldeenheid. Daar is bevind dat die nywerheidsektor baie sensitief is vir prys-, sowel as inkomsteveranderings op die kort- en langtermyn. Dieselfde neiging is bevind vir die bousektor en die handelsvervoersektor. In die privaat motorsektor is bevind dat petrolaangedrewe motors nie elasties is nie wat betref prys sowel as inkomste op die kort- sowel as langtermyn. Die rede hiervoor is die gebrek aan bekostigbare alternatiewe vervoermiddels. Toetse vir dieselaangedrewe motorvoertuie dui uiters elastiese resultate aan. Die data wat betref aanvraag kon moontlik verkeerd voorgestel word as gevolg daarvan dat die dieselaanvraag vir ander toerusting as voertuig nie geidentifiseer word nie. Daar is veronderstel dat diesel wat by vulstasies en herverkooppunte gekoop is, vir voertuie gebruik is. Daar is bewyse dat diesel ook vir mieliemeule en kragopwekkers gebruik word.

The thesis aims to analyze the economic and environmental consequences of the regulation to mandatorily blend bio-components into the fuel and prove its inefficiency. The theoretical part summarizes in detail the reasons of introducing the regulation, including the legislative framework, and generational evolution of biofuels. The analytical part uses statistical analysis of time series and price and efficiency indices to evaluate the effectiveness of biofuels in relation to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The impact of the introduction of biofuels on the economy is specified through fuel prices. The impact on engines as well as food prices and social environment is also mentioned.

This study aims to investigate possible consequences for rural residents and the political legitimacy for the state. In Sweden, environmental policy is widespread, and the state aims to be the first climate-neutral welfare state. Previous research and the results from our study indicate that Swedish citizens do not like carbon dioxide taxes. Many rural residents have expressed dissatisfaction in the media with the rise in fuel prices. Therefore, we were interested in what the target group has had for consequences and what they think of the measure. The results show that the consequences have not been devastating, while the rural residents do not believe that they have the right conditions to be a part of the green transition. Surprisingly many of our interviewees have considered switching to an electric gar given the rising fuel prices. For more people to be able to switch to an electric car, targeted investments from the state are required. Our results indicate that the current green transition is not possible and fair for the people in rural areas.

Första och andra världskrigen medförde stora importrestriktioner för bensin och diesel och Sverigestod inför en potentiell kris. Lösningen till drivmedelsbristen var gengas som produceras genom attförbränna träd eller kol i en syrefattig miljö. Med dagens kontinuerligt stigande bensin, diesel ochelpriser står Sverige inför en liknande situation och nya lösningar för att kompensera för de högapriserna söks. Detta kandidatarbete undersöker potentialen med att använda gengas som ett alternativ för attbedriva fordon och småhus för att sänka kostnaden. Arbetet tittar på hur gengas kan användas i treolika fall; i en taxi, lätt lastbil samt ett småhus över ett års tid där kostnadsvinsten beräknas genom attbestämma hur mycket ved som krävs utifrån hur mycket energi som krävs vid användning. Resultatettyder på att med dagens elpriser är el det billigare alternativet för bostäder. Däremot går det att se attdet kan vara ekonomiskts fördelaktigt att använda gengas istället för flytande bränsle när vedprised är billigt. / The First and Second World Wars imposed major import restrictions on gasoline and diesel andSweden faced a potential crisis. The solution to the fuel shortage was producer gas, which isproduced by burning trees or coal in a low-oxygen environment. With today's continuously risinggasoline, diesel and electricity prices, Sweden faces a similar situation and new solutions tocompensate for the high prices are being sought.This bachelor thesis examines the potential for using producer gas as an alternative to power vehiclesand small houses to reduce the cost. The thesis looks at how producer gas can be used in threedifferent cases; in a taxi, light truck and a small house over a years time where the cost benefit iscalculated by determining how much wood is required based on how much energy is required in use.The results indicate that with current electricity prices, electricity is the cheaper option for poweringhouses. However, it can be seen that it can be economically advantageous to use producer gas instead of liquid fuel when the price of wood is cheap.

It's a subject of extensive discussion whether or not fuel prices on gas stations respond faster on an increase of oil price than on its decrease. Though this phenomenon is widely discussed in scientific literature, there's still no study focused on an asymmetric behavior of fuel prices on the Czech market. This diploma thesis fills the gap and explores the reaction of fuel prices in response to cost shocks in the environment of the Czech Republic. At the first section of thesis, there is described several economic theories explaining asymmetric reaction - especially the theories based on consumer behavior under the imperfect information assumption and the theory of tacit collusion according to which the price of previous period provides companies on oligopolistic market with a focal price for implicit cartel agreement. In the Empirical part of the thesis, I use an error correction model allowing asymmetric reaction to analyze if the retail fuel prices in the Czech Republic really react with different lag on positive and negative cost shocks. Based on several time series of gasoline and diesel prices, presence of asymmetric price reaction was proven between wholesale and retail level of supply chain.