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The methodological approach adopted by this thesis is discussed in terms of the Three Worlds Framework as developed by Mouton (2008). According to this approach three frames or “worlds” of knowledge can be used to conceptualise and discuss a research problem;

• World 1: The world of everyday life and lay knowledge. This frame contains the knowledge, experience and common-sense that we use to deal with problems in our everyday life.

• World 2: The world of science and scientific research. In this “world” scientists select phenomena from World 1 and make them into objects of inquiry. The aim of such enquiry is epistemic knowledge production which strives to generate truthful and reliable descriptions of phenomena. Though scientific enquiry accepts that no study can claim to find final and objective “truths”, the motivation of scientific research remains the search for such ever-elusive “truth.”

• World 3: The world of meta-science. In this frame the scientific findings from World 2 are evaluated in terms of meta-disciplines that reflect on the ethical and philosophical implications of the research conducted in World 2. Three possible meta-disciplines identified by Mouton (2008, pp.138-139) are realism (Positivism), interpretivism (phenomological) and critical theory. These are respectively linked to the quantitative, qualitative and participatory methodological approaches that are used for scientific inquiry in world 2.

The research problem of this thesis can be described according to the three worlds framework as follows.

The real world problem identified in World 1 consists of the poverty facing many households in the Stellenbosch Municipal area as well as the national energy shortage crisis that hampers the expansion of housing development in the area. Though the problems are seemingly unrelated the hypothesis of this research thesis is that SWH offers a potential integrated solution that could help address both challenges but that the high costs of the technology remains a barrier that prevents the full benefits of the technology from being realised. The development challenges facing Stellenbosch Municipality are thus viewed as a systems problem and are addressed from a systems perspective as discussed earlier under the literature review section.

These “real world” phenomena are brought into World 2 where they are made into objects of scientific inquiry. The aim of the inquiry is to determine what role SWHs can play in the reduction of poverty, both through local job creation as well as through providing bulk water heating to households that currently only have limited access to hot water. First the developmental potential of the technology is analysed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Thereafter the SWH industry is evaluated according to a Value chain Analysis (VCA) method to identify the reasons for the prohibiting high costs of SWH systems. This is done in order to identify the disparity between the demand and supply for hot water services and to formulate provisional suggestions on how it can be overcome.

The quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches adopted in the World 2 framework place this thesis in the World 3 meta-sciences of positivism and phenomenology.

The literature discussed earlier in the thesis, justifying the need for sustainable energy interventions and conceptualising the systems approach to sustainable development adopted for the research form the basis for critically evaluating the scientific research findings in terms of a coherent meta-science approach that justifies both the motivation for the research as well as the recommendations made.

Though the descriptions above create the perception that research paradigms are a clearly defined field there are numerous different perspectives and many debates in each approach.

Each methodological approach and/or its meta-science basis contains diverging perspectives and much literature is dedicated to the critical exploration of research methodology. Detailed discussion of the complexity of each approach would fall beyond the scope of this thesis and only summary explanations are provided of the conceptual foundations that are particularly relevant for the approach adopted for this research. It is important to include such a discussion as the ontological assumptions about the relationship between object and subject within each approach influences how being or reality is perceived and thus every observation made. The epistemological assumptions in turn influence how knowledge is generated to provide evidence for the research objective, thus influencing what is investigated and what is considered as important inputs in the research process.

According to Babbie and Mouton (2008, p.49) a quantitative methodological approach emphasises the quantification of constructs. A quantitative researcher believes that “...the best, or only, way of measuring the properties of phenomena is through...assigning numbers to the perceived quantities of things.” The positivist meta-science foundation of the quantitative approach is apparent through the use of surveys and statistical analyses in an attempt to study social phenomena in a similar way that natural phenomenon are studied. The approach strives to be value-neutral through the disciplining of subjectivity and prejudice by applying systematic statistical analysis techniques to gather data on social phenomena.

Empirical evidence is used to statistically validate the knowledge generated to answer the research question (Holliday 2002, p.6). In this research thesis the quantitative approach is used to determine the measurable benefits of providing SWHs to low-income households, i.e.

to answer research question 1.2. This data can then be used to calculate the energy savings that the local municipality can achieve through the mass rollout of SWHs.

The quantitative approach is also used to assemble and assess data on the cost drivers and employment creation potential in the SWH manufacturing value chain to answer research questions 1.4 and 2.1. An exclusive focus on quantifiable data is however considered to be inadequate to assess all the positive benefits of installing SWHs on low-income homes or to determine the relational barriers to innovation or expansion that might hamper the reduction of costs in the SWH value chain. It is for this reason that a qualitative approach has also been used in the research.

Being very aware of the potential distorting effects of personal bias in researching the potential benefits of Solar Water Heaters due to the wide disparity in social background between the background of the researcher and that of the low-income households that were studied a qualitative approach was included as part of the research. Qualitative research

“attempts always to study human action from the insiders perspective” (Babbie and Mouton 2008, p.53) and though acknowledging that gaining a true “insiders” perspective for this study would be impossible in the timeframe of a year the qualitative approach allowed the researcher to develop a greater understanding for the issues confronting low-income communities in the Western Cape. The qualitative approach is ideal for this goal as it defines the goal of research as “describing and understanding rather than the explanation and prediction of human behaviour” (Babbie & Mouton 2008, p.53). The focus is on exploring the context and relationships to develop hypotheses as well as to allow for the emergence of new questions (Holliday 2002, p.6) that cannot be anticipated in a purely quantitative study.

A third possible approach would be the participatory action research (PAR) methodological approach which “...involves a much closer relationship than that which is usual between the researcher and the researched.” Such an approach is necessary if the persons who are the earmarked beneficiaries of the research are to be part of the entire research process (Babbie &

Mouton 2008, p.58). PAR is valuable if the research is designed not only to increase the store of knowledge available but also to affect real change while it is being conducted. Though some elements of the research design for this thesis resemble a participatory action research approach, especially during the interaction with low-income households, the level of participation was not as consistently prominent as Participatory Action Research (PAR) advocates that it should be. The intention was never to follow such an approach as the aim of the research was not to affect direct change but rather to add to the store of knowledge which would eventually facilitate change. Therefore it was decided that the data and input required to answer the research question could best be gathered using qualitative and quantitative methods.

The combination of a quantitative and qualitative methodological approach is in line with the systems theory approach to sustainable development that forms part of the epistemological framework for this thesis. It would be inefficient and extremely difficult to address the challenges facing Stellenbosch and other similar towns singularly, but if they are viewed as an interrelated system of challenges, solutions may be found that offer improvements on a whole range of levels to several seemingly disparate problems. A quantitative research approach would reveal challenges and opportunities for solutions on a macro scale whilst the qualitative approach provides an opportunity to understand challenges from the perspective of the residents whose lives will be affected or from the perspective of businesses offering the technologies that are proposed as solutions. The combination of the approaches allows the research to make generalised statements in World 2 while remaining firmly grounded in the real experiences of people living in World 1.

The quantitative approach was employed during the distribution of surveys to determine the electricity used for water heating in existing low-income households in Stellenbosch, for the assembly of data on the employment creation potential of the SWH industry in the Western Cape as well as to investigate the barriers to cost-reduction across the value chain. For the industry value chain analysis, face-to-face interviews were conducted whilst a survey was used to determine aggregate figures for electricity used for water heating in low-income households. This data was analysed to identify the potential benefits that SWHs would offer as well as areas in the industry where institutional support is most necessary and where Stellenbosch Municipality could offer incentives that would attract SWH producers.

The qualitative approach was primarily adopted during a case study during which SWH systems were installed on two low-income homes in Stellenbosch, but also during interviews with businesses in the SWH value chain to ascertain what the primary concerns of industry players are. The case study of low-income households in Stellenbosch, where two particular households were the units of analysis, were insightful in that they offered an opportunity to observe first-hand the impact that SWHs have on the lives of people in real-world settings.

These insights in turn served to inform the argument for the mass rollout of SWHs. The qualitative questions that were asked of SWH industry players enabled the research to identify perceived barriers to cost reductions held in the industry as well as relational barriers between different parties in the value chain. The perceived barriers are as important as quantitatively identified barriers as they play a large role in the investment decisions in the SWH value chain. The qualitative approach ensured that the research remain grounded in the context and reality of the SWH industry and the low-income communities targeted for mass rollout programs either in Stellenbosch or the wider Western Cape.