Bottom-up initiatives for the diffusion of photovoltaics

Conducted by Kathrin Reinsberger, Thomas Brudermann, Stefanie Hatzl, Eva Fleiss and Alfred Posch, the study systematically identifies and assesses critical factors, which foster or hinder the development of bottom-up initiatives in the diffusion of photovoltaics. Bottom-up initiatives are social innovations, which entail civil engagement in energy transition at a local or regional level, and are expected to play a growing role in the governance of local energy systems in Europe.
The findings of the study indicate that successful initiatives are those which are able to draw upon substantial local public interest and trust in the new technology, and which manage to combine financial attractiveness with environmental concerns. The results make clear that the political context is also an extremely important success factor. Given the appropriate circumstances, such initiatives may make a significant contribution in the transition to a sustainable energy system, and thus prove useful in reaching European energy targets.

The study was conducted as part of the project ‘RESHAPE’ – Reshaping institutions and processes in the transition toward renewable energy: Lessons from bottom-up initiatives, supported by the Austrian Climate and Energy fund (ACRP) under the grant number KR12AC5K01278, and has been published in Applied Energy, Volume 159.

Reinsberger K, Brudermann T, Hatzl S, Fleiss E & Posch A (2015). Photovoltaic diffusion from the bottom-up: Analytical investigation of critical factors. Applied Energy 159:178-187. URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261915010533