Is Germany׳s energy transition a case of successful green industrial policy? Contrasting wind and solar PV

Pegels, Anna; Lütkenhorst, Wilfried

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2014.06.031

Cited by 160 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…We limit the scope of our explorative study to the This is the authors' post-print of: Rogge, K.S. and German Energiewende because of its ambitious targets and rich policy mix as well as its pioneering role in renewable energy innovation (Bruns et al, 2011;Pegels and Lütkenhorst, 2014;Quitzow et al, 2016;Strunz, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Policy Mix Characteristics Matter for Low-Carbon Innovation? A Survey-Based Exploration for Renewable Power Generation Technologies in Germany

Rogge

Schleich

2017

SSRN Journal

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Article (Accepted Version)http://sro.sussex.ac.uk Rogge, Karoline and Schleich, Joachim (2018) Do policy mix characteristics matter for lowcarbon innovation? A survey-based exploration of renewable power generation technologies in Germany. Research Policy, 47 (9). AbstractPolicy mixes may play a crucial role in redirecting and accelerating innovation towards low-carbon solutions, thus addressing a key societal challenge. Towards this end, some argue that the characteristics of such policy mixes matter greatly, yet with little empirical evidence backing up such claims. In this paper we explore this link between policy mix characteristics and low-carbon innovation, using the research case of the transition of the German electricity system towards renewable energy. Our empirical insights are based on an innovation survey administered to German manufacturers of renewable power generation technologies which builds on the Community Innovation Survey. For our purposes we adjusted the survey to better capture companies' perceptions of policy mixes. Employing a bivariate Tobit model we find evidence that companies' perceptions regarding the consistency and credibility of a policy mix are positively associated with their innovation expenditures for renewable energies, and this positive link intensifies when considering the mutual interdependence of these policy mix characteristics. In contrast, neither the comprehensiveness of the instrument mix nor the coherence of policy processes were found to be related to innovation expenditures. Overall, these findings suggest that future research on low-carbon and eco-innovation should pay greater attention to the characteristics of policy mixes, rather than focusing on policy instruments only. Finally, our findings indicate a need to consider how policy may be measured in innovation surveys to generate better informed policy advice regarding the greening of innovation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Policy Mix Characteristics Matter for Low-Carbon Innovation? A Survey-Based Exploration for Renewable Power Generation Technologies in Germany

Rogge

Schleich

2017

SSRN Journal

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“…Germany is one of the leading countries for the development of renewable energy, especially in the European context [32]. The German photovoltaics (PV) installation capacity is the largest per capita in Europe and it has also been the leading country for solar energy innovations in terms of generated patents (see Table 1).…”

Section: Germany's Solar Power Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, the technology-oriented policies have been criticized for being expensive. German households have been paying some of the highest electricity rates in the EU [34], and it has been questioned whether Germany will be able to meet its green industrial policy aims at reasonable cost [32]. The total amount of subsidies paid under the feed-in-tariff system in Germany increased from less than a billion Euro in 2000 to 26 billion Euro in 2016 [39].…”

Section: Germany's Solar Power Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The goal of promoting solar power was rooted to the large internal market and the needs of diverse industrial sectors involved in the innovation activities. While the policy has been criticized for expensive costs [32,34,38], it has still been robust enough to have a long-term influence and to promote e.g., dispersed citizen energy production. The dispersed production distributes also benefits to wider circles and brings stability to energy policy.…”

Section: The Sticky Policy Trajectories Of the Three Re Policy Leadersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Sticky’ Policies—Three Country Cases on Long-Term Commitment and Rooting of RE Policy Goals

2020

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Denmark, Germany, and Finland are countries that have emerged as technology leaders in key renewable energy fields—wind energy, solar power, and bioenergy. In this article, we dig into the policy trajectories of these countries and concentrate particularly on a phenomenon that is common for them all—the long-term commitment to promoting particular renewable energy (RE) technologies. Analyzing commitment, its causes and its consequences, can be considered important, as earlier findings show that long-term, consistent policy signals are a key for policy success. In this article, we point out that this ‘sticking’ to a RE technology has emerged and manifested in multiple ways in the case countries. Examples include relying on existing cultural capacities when navigating energy policy direction, strategically promoting scaling of technology markets to root new energy practices in society and developing energy policies as an extension of existing socio-technical structures. In order to understand these dynamics in more depth, we utilize literature on policy robustness and resilience. While all the case countries, Denmark, Germany, and Finland, have generated robust RE policy goals, Finland has failed to foster resilience simultaneously. We conclude that analysing stickiness of policy elements can be fruitful when seeking to understand and design transformative policies. Further, it can be taken as a complementary analytical perspective in the policy mix studies.

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“…In the process of identifying the approach to adopt, there has been a trend towards considering this transition in mainly technological manner as a switch away from using fossil and nuclear fuels in favour of renewable sources. Germany, like other northern European countries, is considered as, socially [9][10][11] and academically [12,13] leading the way towards a sustainable energy system, and a global example for other countries. Germany currently has the most photovoltaic panels installed in the world with 38.2 GW [14], and has the greatest wind power capacity in the EU with 44.9 GW [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of Bottom-Up Energy Transitions in Germany: A Case Study Analysis

et al. 2018

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Within the context of an energy transition towards achieving a renewable low-impact energy consumption system, this study analyses how bottom-up initiatives can contribute to state driven top-down efforts to achieve the sustainability related goals of (1) reducing total primary energy consumption; (2) reducing residential electricity and heat consumption; and (3) increasing generated renewable energy and even attaining self-sufficiency. After identifying the three most cited German bottom-up energy transition cases, the initiatives have been qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. The case study methodology has been used and each initiative has been examined in order to assess and compare these with the German national panorama. The novel results of the analysis demonstrate the remarkable effects of communal living, cooperative investment and participatory processes on the creation of a new sustainable energy system. The study supports the claim that bottom-up initiatives could also contribute to energy sustainability goals together within the state driven plans. Furthermore, the research proves that the analysed bottom-up transitions are not only environmentally and socially beneficial but they can also be economically feasible, at least in a small scale, such as the current German national top-down energy policy panorama.

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Is Germany׳s energy transition a case of successful green industrial policy? Contrasting wind and solar PV

Cited by 160 publications

References 25 publications

Do Policy Mix Characteristics Matter for Low-Carbon Innovation? A Survey-Based Exploration for Renewable Power Generation Technologies in Germany

Do Policy Mix Characteristics Matter for Low-Carbon Innovation? A Survey-Based Exploration for Renewable Power Generation Technologies in Germany

‘Sticky’ Policies—Three Country Cases on Long-Term Commitment and Rooting of RE Policy Goals

Contributions of Bottom-Up Energy Transitions in Germany: A Case Study Analysis

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