Social Innovation

Social Innovation and the Energy Transition

The Dutch energy sector has many solutions available for sustainability and the energy transition. However, these solutions are mainly technical, such as smart thermostats, heat pumps, energy storage in batteries and energy-efficient buildings. Research on the social and behavioural aspects of sustainability and energy is lagging behind, and tends to be conducted separately from technical research. Consequently, behavioural research sometimes reveals during a late stage of technical development that people do not accept a certain technology, or are unwilling to change their behaviour. These social factors can delay the energy transition and result in unnecessary expenses. There is a need for a multidisciplinary approach. The TU Delft Energy Initiative keeps this theme up to date in collaboration with Dr. Gerdien de Vries en Dr. Thomas Hoppe.

Symposium

The first symposium Social Innovation and the Energy Transition took place on 3 and 4 April 2017. During plenary and parallel sessions, engineers, policymakers, administrators and scientists presented – and discussed – dilemmas and issues such as: Can social innovation boost a technological energy innovation, or conversely, act as an obstacle? What can students do to accelerate the energy transition? What will the Dutch energy situation look like in 2050? Who will be the energy transition winners and losers? The Missing Chapter Foundation, headed by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, facilitated a dialogue between policymakers and children about the question of how social innovation can contribute to a successful energy transition.

On the second day of the symposium social scientists in the field of energy from the Netherlands and abroad presented their research. They also engaged in debate and discussed the research agenda.