| dc.description.abstract | During the last decades, in the field of spatial planning, both sustainability and digitalisation have been
growing in importance. Sustainability is a goal, and with smart applications, we try to speed up the
process towards sustainability. A good example of this development is the smart grid. With making
our energy network intelligent it is possible to make a more efficient and effective use of the energy.
A variety of intelligent energy technologies can be employed. Sustainability is a goal, but also
incentives are created for consumers and other stakeholders.
Because of this potential, the last two decades, investments in testing smart grid possibilities have
increased. As a result of these investments from governments together with semi-public and private
parties in the Netherlands, a vast diversity of smart grid pilots has started and ended. Different
technologies have been tested, business cases have been developed, and research has been done on
the behaviour of consumers. However, the smart grid is still not implemented on the larger scale.
Moreover, because of the liberalisation of the energy network in the nineties, the process of upscaling
of smart grids is not only a matter for governmental organisations but as well for other stakeholders.
Upscaling of smart grids is not only about the technological development, but also governance
processes are highly relevant. Because there exists a gap in the academic literature about the link
between governance, smart grids and upscaling considering the Dutch context; this research will
identify the key factors of success and failure at the upscaling of smart grid implementation in the
Netherlands considering a governance perspective:
Which key factors of success and failure, considering a governance perspective, could be defined at the
upscaling process from smart grid pilots towards large scale smart grid implementation in the
Netherlands?
This research provides three frameworks which define the scope in this investigation. These
frameworks conduct defining the smart grid, the means of governance and the types of upscaling. The
data derives from interviews and a policy analysis. In the first phase, explanatory interviews were
conducted to find out which subjects within the smart grid, governance and upscaling are essential
for the success or failure. Then a policy analysis has been done to see what the context is at the
moment; the starting point and after that semi-structured expert interviews were conducted to
answer the sub questions and the research question.
Many factors are important for the scaling-up of smart grids in the Netherlands. However, within these
factors connections can be exposed which develop a couple of key factors. Firstly, there should be a
balance between the stimulation of innovation by companies and the patience at the acceptance of
innovations by the society. Secondly, the balance between flexibility and strictness at strategy
development is necessary; to get to acceptance of innovation, bottom-up processes are critical.
However, to remain trust, clear responsibilities among stakeholders and a shared vision guidelines are
also important to develop. As well, there exist differences between types of upscaling and subgroups
of smart grid technologies. The development is not parallel, and this makes it more complex to get to
an integrated smart grid and national/international policy which is important according to several
experts. Almost every interviewed expert states that we are now at the last step towards the initiation
of commercial niches. However, this final step could mean a minor step but also a giant leap. | |
