Methodology to identify demand-side low-carbon innovations and their potential impact on socio-technical energy systems
Date
2021
Authors
Hoicka, Christina E.
Das, Runa D.
Zhao, Yuxu
McMaster, Maria-Louise
Lieu, Jenny
Wyse, Susan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MethodsX
Abstract
The rapid diffusion of demand-side low-carbon innovations has been identified as a key strategy for maintaining average global temperature rise at or below 1.5 °C. Diffusion research tends to focus on a single sector, or single technology case study, and on a small scope of factors that influence innovation diffusion. This paper describes a novel methodology for identifying multiple demand-side innovations within a specific energy system context and for characterizing their impact on socio-technical energy systems. This research employs several theoretical frameworks that include the Energy Technology Innovation System (ETIS) framework to develop a sample of innovations; the Sustainability Transitions framework to code innovations for their potential to impact the socio-technical system; the energy justice framework to identify the potential of innovations to address aspects of justice; and how characteristics of innovations are relevant to Innovation Adoption. This coding and conceptualization creates the foundation for the future development of quantitative models to empirically assess and quantify the rate of low-carbon innovation diffusion as well as understanding the broader relationship between the diffusion of innovations and socio-technical system change. The three stages of research are: contextualization: surveys and desk research to identify low-carbon innovations across the ETIS; decontextualization: the development of a codebook of variables; and recontextualization: coding the innovations and analysis.
Description
Keywords
sustainability transitions, socio-technical systems, low-carbon innovations, demand-side, energy justice, innovation adoption, energy technology innovation system, survey, energy transition, diffusion of innovations
Citation
Hoicka, C. E., Das, R. R., Zhao, Y., McMaster, M.-L., Lieu, J., & Wyse, S. (2021). Methodology to identify demand-side low-carbon innovations and their potential impact on socio-technical energy systems. MethodsX, 8, 101295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2021.101295