Zwei neue Publikationen
Check out the latest two publications by Dierk Bauknecht in collaboration with the Öko-Institut here:
- "Institutional rules for the up-take of regulatory experiments: A comparative case study", published in February.
Abstract:
Experiments are an important governance instrument for fostering learning between actors, improving governance, and managing transition pathways for sustainable development. However, determinants of the up-take of the result of experiments are underexplored in the transition experimentation literature. Consequently, we explore the role of experimental design and institutions in this up-take. This paper examines the following research question: How is the up-take of regulatory experiments for sustainability transitions influenced by their design elements and what role do institutions play? The paper uses comparative qualitative content analysis to examine 27 international regulatory experiments. In analyzing the up-take of experiments, we focus on three dimensions: transferability, scalability, and unintended consequences. The analysis demonstrates that the transferability of regulatory experiments depends on its regulatory and geographical context as well as its timeframe and the selection of participants. The scalability appears to be mainly influenced by the timeframe and timing of the regulatory experiment as well as the communication of the experimenters with stakeholders and the support of political actors. Furthermore, the influence of unintended consequences from regulatory experiments depend on the diversity of the participants, the communication of the involved actors, and the use of several design options. Our results can inform policymakers and stakeholders about the design and role of institutions in regulatory experiments.
- "The role of decentralised flexibility options for managing transmission grid congestions in Germany" published in February.
Abstract:
Decentralised flexibility options connected to the distribution grid can be used for congestion management in the transmission grid. Their potential contribution for the transmission grid in Germany is investigated in a scenario analysis for the years 2030, 2040 and 2050.
The model-based evaluation shows that until 2050, cumulative grid congestion increases significantly, which indicates that there is a significant need for grid expansion. Decentralised flexibility options can reduce the cumulative grid congestion of the transmission grid by around 15% in 2030 to around 10% in 2050 if decentralised flexibility options are operated not just in line with the power market, but also with a view to transmission grid requirements. In absolute terms, the benefit of the decentralised flexibility options increases over time.
However, decentralised flexibility options are only suitable in a few cases to fully resolve grid congestions on a certain power line which indicates that grid extension might still be necessary, especially in the long term. Yet decentralised flexibility can still have effects on operational grid management (short-term perspective) and grid expansion needs (medium- and long-term perspective). Therefore, creating a suitable policy framework for the use of decentralised flexibilities is a contribution to achieving climate protection goals.