Cooperation in district heating networks in the Netherlands

Although constructing a district heating network could be portrayed as a simple cost/benefit calculation, we suggest that other factors play an important role that cannot be ignored. In this contribution, we suggest that theories concerning cooperation (in industrial networks) roughly apply to micro (e.g. attitudes toward risk and trust), meso (e.g. social networks and club memberships) and macro (e.g. legislation and culture) influences. Given this framework, we present two case studies of district heating networks in the Netherlands and indicate to what extent the identified influences apply. We conclude that all three layers of analysis should be included in a feasibility assessment.Infrastructures, Systems and ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Images of cooperation: A methodological exploration in energy networks

To ensure dependable, affordable, and sustainable use of energy, stakeholders in energy production, distribution, and consumption are increasingly seeking for cooperation. They aim to jointly tackle large energy projects in an environmental context that is changing at an increasing rate, towards increasing complexity. Cooperation is seen as a remedy against the uncertainties of a hyper-competitive society, but the mechanisms of cooperation and the trade-offs are still poorly understood. This thesis provides clarification on how we can use different methods to understand cooperation activities and how to support cooperative efforts. We come to the conclusion that cooperation is a multidimensional issue that can only be understood properly when looking through different research lenses. Each perspective leads to a different image of cooperation and a clarification of why actors take specific steps in a process, what they aim to accomplish, and how they behave. The investigated methods (graph theoretical planning, agent-based modelling, serious gaming, and case studies) are valuable for understanding the decision making process, but no method can predict the results of cooperation attempts. We deem this impossible given the complexity of the systems we are interested in. However, graph theoretical planning can quickly provide information on network spatial configurations given certain constraints. Agent-based modelling allows for investigating the diversity of actors and the system consequences of their responses to each other. Serious gaming focuses more on players’ behaviour to each other and to the system. Case studies provide a rich description of the systems that we are interested in and allows for extraction of (procedural) lessons. To show the focus and/or breadth of each method we mapped them in two dimensions. The first dimension that we distinguish is that of world-view. A ‘rational’ perspective seeks for clear cause and effect relationships, clearly identified goals, and knowable rules and laws. A ‘behavioural’ perspective acknowledges the idiosyncrasies of individual decision makers and the fact that behaviour is to a great extent determined by social settings and networks of power and influence. A procedural view emphasises the process steps that are necessary for achieving cooperation – the emergent ‘rules of the game’. The second dimension pertains to the level of abstraction. Following general systems theory, we find that a distinction in micro-meso-macro level phenomena helps in classifying the different strands of research and their contribution to systemic understanding of cooperation phenomena. While we are interested in cooperation among organisations (meso level), we acknowledge that organisations consist of individuals (micro level) and form a part of a larger institutional, cultural, or national setting (macro level). Cooperation in organisations is both influenced from ‘above’ and from ‘below’ in interdependent ways.Energy and IndustryTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Using an agent-based model for analysing the robustness of a syngas cluster

Future price developments and availability of energy resources are uncertain. Therefore, developers of energy infrastructures will have to consider different scenarios in their planning. Moreover, the implementation of large infrastructures requires the cooperation of several actors, which adds to the uncertainty. In this paper we describe the use of an agent-based model to simulate the effects of a syngas cluster over `conventional' fossil fuel use. By testing the model in a range of scenarios, we can determine whether the design of such a cluster is robust given various future developments.Energy & IndustryTechnology, Policy and Managemen

The difference between transition and transformation: A bibliometric analysis of two scientific networks.

The terms ‘transition’ and ‘transition management’ encompass the change towards a more sustainable society and embody questions of how this goal should be achieved. Researchers under the banner of ‘transition’ are concentrated in the Netherlands. To find out to what extent ‘transition’ is a Dutch preoccupation, we perform a literature search to identify key references, key authors, and the coherence between references and authors. We contrast this with an alternative denominator ‘transformation’. By analysing co-author and citation networks, we find large differences in these groups of documents. The transition literature is characterised by a large network of directly and indirectly cooperating authors with clear clusters; transformation literature only contains small and isolated author networks. The transition literature is tightly knit with high degrees of internal references and a clearly distinguishable core. Transformation literature has no clear core and fewer connections between authors and articles. Key transition authors are predominantly Dutch. They repeatedly write together and cite each other’s work. The transformation literature makes more use of highly cited research outside the field. Whether this is an indicator of quality remains to be seen. This analysis can be used as a first step for opening up that debate: it should be enriched by systematic in-depth exploration of the field, including research into societal pay-back.Infrastructures, Systems and ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Experience-based exploration of complex energy systems

In our energy-restricted world, planners and engineers have to cope with problems of CO2 emissions and oil- and gas-shortages. Many planning activities not captured under the heading of “futures studies” share common goals like dealing with an uncertain, complex future. We focus on two novel approaches: agent-based modelling and serious games. These approaches, even though they stem from the same general systems theory roots, allow its users to experience “reality” in different ways. This has implications for when and how to use these methods in scanning future developments and how these are communicated.Infrastructures, Systems and ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Observing player behavior in an electricity market game

In this paper we investigate the cooperative behaviour in a serious game. We build on an existing energy market game and use repetitive questionnaires to understand player behaviour.Infrastructures, Systems and ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Networks of entrepreneurs driving the Triple Helix: two cases of the Dutch energy system

Entrepreneurs are often envisioned as small private start-up firms operating against all odds. Here, we investigate how in the context of the Triple Helix various entrepreneurs form communities and drive institutional and technological change. To theoretically shape a socialized view of entrepreneurship, we use the Triple Helix approach. Our empirical basis is a highly regulated sector driven by various agents, i.e. the Dutch energy system. As it depends very much on natural gas and relies less on renewables compared to similar countries, we analyse two cases where entrepreneurs drove the uptake of renewable energy sources.In our paper, we investigate how entrepreneurs from the private, public andacademic sectors drive the evolution of the Triple Helix. From our results, twogeneral features of entrepreneurship in the Triple Helix emerge. First of all, private stand-alone enterprises do not mirror entrepreneurs at large. Second, networks of various entrepreneurs are much more common and much more complex than usually anticipated. More specifically, we find that there are rather divergent developments in Dutch energy systems. Whereas in the case of Aardwarmte Den Haag, a number of key players collaborated in order to realize one specific technology, in the LochemEnergie case, we see a project-to-project approach supported by subsidies. In both cases, a variety of entrepreneurs from the private, public and academic sectors with different roles, goals, incentives, resources, knowledge and policy levers drive the development of their energy system. It depends on the actual situation on who has the incentives and resources to be in charge and act and to include others when it seems necessary.Entrepreneurs in such a set-up require particular skills including the ability to engage with their (knowledge) network, identify gaps, attract new participants and motivate the new and existing participants. Entrepreneurs managing these networks handle a whole range of semi-unpredictable actors and environmental factors that also influence each other; therefore, they can be defined as truly complex sociotechnological systems. As the development of local energy initiatives unfold along the way, entrepreneurs have to be flexible and open to organizational change. While large organizations such as municipalities or large multinational companies are usually less flexible, they might create space for smaller entrepreneurial activities by supporting individuals, start-ups or academics in finding novel solutions. At the same time, a major role for public entrepreneurs lies in stimulating and subsidizing entrepreneurs and their networks.The analytical framework provided here can be used to study the principles of the Triple Helix concept in a dynamic environment in which technological innovation requires the expertise and capabilities of multiple types of actors. Its function is not only to identify roles and types of entrepreneurs and their incentives, but to also assess which resources (knowledge, skills, subsidies) they can contribute to the initiative.Information and Communication TechnologyEconomics of Technology and Innovatio

Modelling cooperative agents in infrastructure networks

This paper describes the translation of concepts of cooperation into an agent-based model of an industrial network. It first addresses the concept of cooperation and how this could be captured as heuristical rules within agents. Then it describes tests using these heuristics in an abstract model of an industrial network. The discussion addresses the question whether the right level of abstraction is chosen and preliminary findings.Infrastructure Systems & ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Value focused thinking: An approach to structure company values for asset risk management

For public and semi public organizations the use of risk assessment matrices is becoming a standard approach for asset management decisions. The risk matrix allows companies to assess the chance and effects of different risks with respect to proposed investment decisions. When the values in the risk matrix reflect the company values, the risk matrix allows for investment decisions to be made in line with these values and even for further strategic decision making. In this paper we describe how a hierarchy of values can be used to uncover the core values of a company. These values are often shared by the people in a company and are institutionalized in core documents, like the strategic vision or annual reports. We describe an approach in which we used Value Focused Thinking for the systematic elicitation of company values to determine the aggregation level of the values represented in the asset risk matrix of the Port Authority of Rotterdam.Energy and IndustryTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Home Energy Systems: the State of the Art

Smart home energy systems are technically possible to realize but are not yet applied on a large scale partly due to the fact that no common standards exist that enable interconnection of components that make up these smart energy systems. Multiple standards have been developed which are competing in standards battles. In this paper we conduct a step by step approach for the identification of these standards battles. By giving an overview of the different standards battles. This study aims to decrease uncertainty for firms and other stakeholders involved; firms may not be aware of the different standards battles that are being vied. The cases of standards battles that are arrived at in this paper may be used by academics as candidate cases for standards battles for the home energy management system and may form a point of departure for commercial stakeholders such as firms.Economics of Technology and InnovationEnergy & Industr