Transformative policy mixes in socio-technical scenarios: the case of the low-carbon transition of the German electricity system (2010-2050)

Much research and policy advice for addressing climate change has focused on developing model-based scenarios to identify pathways towards achieving decarbonisation targets. The paper's first aim is to complement such model-based analysis with insights from socio-technical transition analysis to develop socio-technical storylines that show how low-carbon transitions can be implemented. Our second aim is to explore how policymakers could govern such transition processes through transformative policy mixes. We take the example of the transition of the German electricity system towards renewable energies, and elaborate two transition pathways which are assumed to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but differ in terms of lead actors, depth and scope of change: the first pathway captures the substitution of technological components (pathway A), while the second aims at broader system transformation (pathway B). We find that multi-dimensional socio-technical change (pathway B) requires greater emphasis on societal experimentation and a more proactive role for anticipatory deliberation processes from the outset. In contrast, shifting gear from a new entrant friendly past trajectory to an incumbent dominated pathway (pathway A) requires agency from incumbents and is associated with regime stabilizing instruments defending the old regime while simultaneously fulfilling decarbonisation as additional success criteria

Road2CPS priorities and recommendations for research and innovation in cyber-physical systems

This document summarises the findings of the Road2CPS project, co-financed by the European Commission under the H2020 Research and Innovation Programme, to develop a roadmap and recommendations for strategic action required for future deployment of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). The term Cyber-Physical System describes hardware-software systems, which tightly couple the physical world and the virtual world. They are established from networked embedded systems that are connected with the outside world through sensors and actuators and have the capability to collaborate, adapt, and evolve. In the ARTEMIS Strategic Research Agenda 2016, CPS are described as ‘Embedded Intelligent ICT Systems’ that make products smarter, more interconnected, interdependent, collaborative, and autonomous. In the future world of CPS, a huge number of devices connected to the physical world will be able to exchange data with each other, access web services, and interact with people. Moreover, information systems will sense, monitor and even control the physical world via Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things (HiPEAC Vision 2015). Cyber-Physical Systems find their application in many highly relevant areas to our society: multi-modal transport, health, smart factories, smart grids and smart cities amongst others. The deployment of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) is expected to increase substantially over the next decades, holding great potential for novel applications and innovative product development. Digital technologies have already pervaded day-to-day life massively, affecting all kinds of interactions between humans and their environment. However, the inherent complexity of CPSs, as well as the need to meet optimised performance and comply with essential requirements like safety, privacy, security, raises many questions that are currently being explored by the research community. Road2CPS aims at accelerating uptake and implementation of these efforts. The Road2CPS project identifying and analysing the relevant technology fields and related research priorities to fuel the development of trustworthy CPS, as well as the specific technologies, needs and barriers for a successful implementation in different application domains and to derive recommendations for strategic action. The document at hand was established through an interactive, community-based approach, involving over 300 experts from academia, industry and policy making through a series of workshops and consultations. Visions and priorities of recently produced roadmaps in the area of CPS, IoT (Internet of Things), SoS (System-of-Systems) and FoF (Factories of the Future) were discussed, complemented by sharing views and perspectives on CPS implementation in application domains, evolving multi-sided eco-systems as well as business and policy related barriers, enablers and success factors. From the workshops and accompanying activities recommendations for future research and innovation activities were derived and topics and timelines for their implementation proposed. Amongst the technological topics, and related future research priorities ‘integration, interoperability, standards’ ranged highest in all workshops. The topic is connected to digital platforms and reference architectures, which have already become a key priority theme for the EC and their Digitisation Strategy as well as the work on the right standards to help successful implementation of CPSs. Other themes of very high technology/research relevance revealed to be ‘modelling and simulation’, ‘safety and dependability’, ‘security and privacy’, ‘big data and real-time analysis’, ‘ubiquitous autonomy and forecasting’ as well as ‘HMI/human machine awareness’. Next to this, themes emerged including ‘decision making and support’, ‘CPS engineering (requirements, design)’, ‘CPS life-cycle management’, ‘System-of-Systems’, ‘distributed management’, ‘cognitive CPS’, ‘emergence, complexity, adaptability and flexibility’ and work on the foundations of CPS and ‘cross-disciplinary research/CPS Science’

Roadmap for Renewable Energy Technologies Diffusion : A comparative study of Socioeconomic, Regulatory, and Technological issues in Finland and Poland

Energy is a fundamental resource required for the functioning and prosperity of societies across the globe. However, due to e.g. industrialization, digitalization, overpopulation, and growing shares of the global middle and middle-high class, the energy demand levels are expeditiously increasing. Considering climate change and global warming issues, there is a need to significantly limit the utilization of fossil fuels for energy generation purposes. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) can support the global energy transition by providing more clean, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly solutions. The expanding technological innovation advancement generates the capacity of renewables to enhance, inter alia, energy efficiency and security, sustainable development, proficient use of native resources, independence from energy imports, and escalating cost competitiveness. Regrettably, the share of renewables in global energy mixes remains relatively modest and inadequate. This doctoral dissertation aims to explore the major factors influencing the diffusion of renewable energy technologies. Particular emphasis has been put on key regulatory, socioeconomic, and technological aspects of RETs diffusion in two European Union member states, Finland and Poland. By applying a problem-solving approach, this study initially detects the most hampering factors of RETs diffusion in order to address them and suggest effective improvement measures. The outcomes of this research highlight the importance of regulatory regimes and inter-sectoral collaborative networks to uphold the diffusion of environmentally-friendly solutions and propose circular economy, venture capital, and blockchain technology as possible incubators for RETs diffusion. Qualitative research methodology, strengthened with the philosophical approach of critical realism has helped to thoroughly investigate the phenomenon of RETs diffusion based on selected case studies from the RETs industry. A cross-country comparative analysis reveals novel insights on major similarities and differences in various predicaments for developing RETs in both investigated countries. The collective outcomes of the analyses served to develop a “Roadmap for RETs diffusion”, which suggests practical mechanisms, actions, and measures to facilitate the adoption of renewables in Finland and Poland. This study is a vital information source for the policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders and interest groups devoted to the widespread diffusion of RETs.Energia on yhteiskuntien toiminnan ja hyvinvoinnin kannalta keskeinen perusresurssi kaikkialla maailmassa. Energian kysyntä kasvaa kuitenkin nopeasti johtuen muun muassa teollistumisesta, digitalisaatiosta ja ylikansoituksesta. Ilmaston lämpenemisen hillitsemiseksi fossiilisten polttoaineiden käyttöä energiantuotantotarkoituksiin on merkittävästi rajoitettava. Uusiutuvan energian teknologiat (RET) voivat tukea maailmanlaajuista energiasiirtymää tarjoamalla puhtaampia, kestävämpiä ja ympäristöystävällisempiä ratkaisuja. Uusiin energialähteisiin liittyvät teknologiset innovaatiot parantavat energiatehokkuutta ja turval¬lisuutta, kestävää kehitystä, luonnonvarojen asiantuntevaa käyttöä, riippu¬mattomuutta energian tuonnista sekä kansallista kustannuskilpailukykyä. Uusiutuvien energialähteiden osuus maailman energiantuotannosta on kuitenkin edelleen suhteellisen vaatimaton. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena on selvittää uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämiseen vaikuttavia keskeisiä tekijöitä. Uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämisen keskeisiä tekijöitä sääntelyn sekä sosioekonomisten ja teknologisten näkökohtien kannalta on tarkasteltu erityisesti kahdessa Euroopan unionin jäsenvaltiossa, Suomessa ja Puolassa. Tutkimuksessa on tunnistettu teknologioiden leviämistä vaikeuttavia tekijöitä ja niihin liittyviä parannuksia. Tutkimuksen tulokset korostavat sääntelyjärjestelmien välisten yhteistyöverkostojen merkitystä ympäristöystävällisten ratkaisujen edistämisessä, ja ehdottavat kierto¬taloutta, riskipääomaa ja lohkoketjuteknologiaa mahdollisiksi ratkaisuiksi uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämiselle. Tutkimus noudattaa kriittiseen realismiin pohjautuvaa laadullista tutkimusmetodologiaa. Uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämistä tutkitaan tapaustutkimuksia käyttäen. Maiden välinen vertaileva analyysi tuo esiin havaintoja merkittävistä yhtäläisyyksistä ja eroista erilaisissa uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden kehityksen haasteissa molemmissa tutkituissa maissa. Analyysien tulosten pohjalta työssä on kehitetty tiekartta, joka ehdottaa käytännön mekanismeja, toimia ja toimenpiteitä uusiutuvien energialähteiden käyttöönoton helpotta¬miseksi Suomessa ja Puolassa. Tämä tutkimus toimii tietolähteenä poliittisille päättäjille, toimijoille ja muille sidosryhmille uusiutuvan energian teknologisen kehityksen alueella.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

GRID COMPUTING FOR COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

This paper describes the methodology and results of a literature review targeting the distinct interpretations of the Grid Computing paradigm within the context of Collaborative Networks. The review is based on the analysis of contributions published in selected scientific journals between 2002 and today. The analysis was performed taking into account the assumptions, scopes and solutions provided to approach the challenges for SMEs’ collaborative networks. The research questions driving this literature review have been the following: (1) How is the concept of Grid Computing associated with the concept of Collaborative Network? (2) How the Grid computing supports Collaborative Networks? (3) What are the business implications in Grid supported Collaborative Networks

Editorial: SDEWES science - The path to a sustainable carbon neutral world

In 2021, the 16th SDEWES (Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems) Conference was held in Dubrovnik (Croatia), October 10th – 15th and delivered more than 690 contributions, presented in regular and 13 special sessions, with 7 invited lectures devoted to various sustainability topics. The Energy journal has continued its cooperation with SDEWES launching a special issue dedicated to this SDEWES Conference. The 29 selected papers cover a wide variety of issues in the fields of energy, water and environment, and all of them propose novel approaches or remarkable advances in well established research lines already explored in past SDEWES Conferences

ICT architectures for TSO-DSO coordination and data exchange: a European perspective

The coordination between system operators is a key element for the decarbonization of the power system. Over the past few years, many EU-funded research projects have addressed the challenges of Transmission System Operators (TSO) and Distribution System Operators (DSO) coordination by implementing different data exchange architectures. This paper presents a review of the ICT architectures implemented for the main coordination schemes demonstrated in such projects. The main used technologies are analyzed, considering the type of data exchanged and the communication link. Finally, the paper presents the different gaps and challenges on TSO-DSO coordination related to ICT architectures that must still be faced, paying especial attention to the expected contribution of the EU-funded OneNet project on this topic. IEEECoordiNet H202