Putting experience curves in context : links to and between technology development, market diffusion, learning mechanisms and systems innovation theory

As far as the experience curve approach goes, the focus is mainly on quantifying the cost reductions of the technological artefact (e.g. a wind turbine or biomass power plant) due to technological development. However, the experience curve by itself offers no explanation why costs should decline in the first place. As illustrated in the previous chapter, circumstances such as market developments, knowledge diffusion, sector and geographical system boundaries all can have an impact on (the applicability of) the experience curve approach. Yet, many studies (both historical and prospective) do not place experience curves in a broader context. In this chapter, we point out some issues of the experience curve approach from an innovation studies perspective; we take a look at how far theories on learning mechanisms and innovation systems can contribute to a better understanding of technological learning (and associated cost reductions); and we discuss whether and how these concepts could be used to complement the experience curve approach

Challenges ahead : understanding, assessing, anticipating and governing foreseeable societal tensions to support accelerated low-carbon transitions in Europe

Addressing global climate change calls for rapid, large-scale deployment of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs). Such an accelerated diffusion constitutes a new phenomenon, which challenges existing analytical approaches. The implied fundamental reconfiguration of energy systems will inevitably involve adjoining shifts in the structure of energy markets, the socio-cultural significance of energy, and related rules and institutions - producing new societal tensions that are largely understudied. This think piece draws on insights from socio-technical, social-ecological and techno-economic systems studies to better understand, assess and support the exploration of low-carbon futures.  We sketch out an integrated approach that encompasses four major tasks for governing the energy transition: i) a richer understanding of the dynamics of socio-technical and social-ecological systems; ii) multi-dimensional assessments of prospective environmental, social and economic impacts of these transformations; iii) methods that enable actors to anticipate future impacts in their everyday innovation and decision practices; and iv) elaborate new, integrated governance arrangements to tackle the upcoming transformations

Towards a dynamic understanding of innovation systems: An integrated TIS-MLP approach for wind turbines

Meeting sustainability challenges requires not only innovations but also transitions to sustainability paths. Studies applying technological innovation system and multi-level perspective approaches show that the development of innovation systems is a complex process with numerous direct and indirect interdependencies of the different variables involved. This paper looks at how a combined TIS-MLP approach could form the conceptual basis for analyzing the dynamics driving the development of the innovation system. The feasibility of applying such a concept is demonstrated for the three different phases of the Chinese wind energy innovation system. There were feedback loops between the innovation functions, which describe the internal dynamics. The landscape is important for starting positive cycles. Situational context factors and general paradigms of economic strategies, such as the importance of developing domestic production capacities supported by local content requirement and building on the absorption of foreign knowledge, are important framework conditions. So far, there are no signs of a strong negative feedback loop developing for China, so the system is expected to continue to expand