Eigenverlag/Self

Abstract:
Energy systems around the world are undergoing major changes. The transition towards renewable energies involves new technologies and infrastructures as well as changes in institutional arrangements andsocial practices. So far, however, transformations in the energy sector are driven by technological researchand development activities proposing a wide range of competing and often inconsistent technical optionsand pathways. The emphasis on decarbonisation runs the risk of creating conditions for ‘technocratic reductionism’, in the form of technological quick-fixes and undesirable side effects. In order to avoid lock-insand systemic inconsistencies, a broader and deeper understanding of innovations in the energy transitioncontext is needed. In this paper, we propose a new framework to explore the socio-technical implications ofenergy innovations systematically. We aim to extend existing approaches to take account of the importanceof societal implications and risk migration, thereby broadening and diversifying energy policy options.Analytically, our approach focuses on socio-technical configurations within the energy system instead oftechnologies or energy pathways. For illustration purposes, we draw on the empirical case of decentralisedelectricity generation and storage. Thus, we hope to allow for a better understanding of local, systemic, andwider societal effects of ongoing and future developments and enhance the societal value of energy innovation.