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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 Recontextualization: coding the innovations and analysis.

The diffusion of low-carbon innovations, including innovative products and services, is required to accelerate a low-carbon energy transition. These innovations also have the potential to alleviate and perpetuate existing social inequities, calling into question their “justness.” Energy justice is a useful analytical tool for framing justice questions related to energy. In this paper, we ask whether demand-side low-carbon energy innovations are meeting energy justice criteria. To address this question, this study develops four indicators from existing energy justice frameworks and applies them to a range of demand-side innovations offered to energy users in Ontario. The indicators are used to assess innovation availability, affordability, information, and involvement. Innovations were identified using surveys and desk research across Ontario's energy technology innovation system (ETIS). One hundred twenty-two innovations are analyzed for these four indicators, and according to intended innovation users and innovation providers. Findings suggest that three of the four indicators—availability, affordability and information are broadly being addressed, while involvement was more difficult to establish. However, the ETIS may be perpetuating inequities through an over emphasis of innovations for particular energy users, such as private businesses, alongside under-emphasis on potentially marginalized actors, such as low-income households and renters. Furthermore, government-delivered, publicly owned or regulated innovation providers place a greater emphasis on energy justice, including the provision of innovations for marginalized actors. This study aids our understanding of energy justice in low-carbon energy innovations and is critical given that in the context of funding cuts to public services, there may be an increased reliance on decentralized actors. The consideration of justice gaps that emerge through such decentralization should not be overlooked. Our findings suggest that within Ontario's ETIS, who provides innovations matters. Given the insights presented in this study, this research approach and the developed indicators could be applied to other contexts and socio-technical systems. The application of energy justice indicators, derived from existing scholarship, therefore presents an important opportunity to address current and understudied practical energy challenges.

Cet article examine les expériences de planification énergétique communautaire (PEC) dans trois provinces canadiennes: la Colombie-Britannique; l’Ontario; et la Nouvelle-Écosse. Les études de cas sont utilisées pour répondre à deux questions: dans quelle mesure les expériences du PEC au Canada reflètent-elles des modèles de gouvernance conventionnels dans lesquels l'autorité est partagée entre différents paliers de gouvernement par rapport à des approches proprement polycentriques; et comment de telles activités polycentriques, autonomes et auto-organisées peuvent-elles réussir sans règles globales favorables venant des plus hauts paliers de gouvernements? Les trois cas démontrent des aspects de la gouvernance polycentrique, toutefois ils les cas mettent en évidence les limites des initiatives de gouvernance polycentrique locale en l'absence de politiques stables et cohérentes venant de paliers supérieurs. Ces résultats soulèvent des implications importantes sur la capacité des initiatives communautaires à fournir des réponses efficaces à des défis mondiaux complexes tels que le changement climatique en l'absence de cadres politiques et de gouvernance globaux favorables.

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