Sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations: Reviewing research, market and societal trends
Research into the impact of innovative sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations is crucial to diversifying, scaling up, and accelerating the sustainable energy transition. Although there is vast research into sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations, research literature offers a fragmented collection of findings. A coherent overview of themes and insights regarding the transformative impact of innovative sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations on sustainable energy systems from the past, present, and near future is lacking and necessary to increase experiments and demonstrations' impact on the sustainable energy transition. The research in this study fills this knowledge gap by providing such an overview and yields novel insights into the organized function and impact of experiments and demonstrations. It spans a broad spectrum of sustainable energy technologies, the empirical domains where these are invented, developed and applied, and the stakeholders involved. The overview is the outcome of a Delphi study in which the insights of 47 international scientific research experts in sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations are bundled and explained. This study presents a thematic overview of the significant insights regarding past and current sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations and outlines a research agenda for the future. Policymakers, practitioners, and scientists can leverage this to inform their sustainable energy policies, business strategies, and research programs.
Authors
- Iva Ridjan Skov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4977-6371)
- Philip J. Vardon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5614-6592)
- Tomas Moe Skjølsvold (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6965-756X)
- Jenni Kaipainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9389-4271)
- M. J. Janssen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6788-511X)
- Trivess Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2576-6921)
- Carla Kornelia Smink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7021-7171)
- Sandra Hasanefendic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2246-7325)
- Tamás Keviczky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2428-2300)
- Johan Frishammar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8103-2519)
- Svein Gunnar Sjøtun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4921-9949)
- Paula Femenías (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0508-3602)
- Gregory F. Nemet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7859-4580)
- Elizabeth von Hauff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6269-0540)
- Thomas Hoppe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0770-4858)
- N.M. van der Grijp
- Mohammad Khosravi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4873-1115)
- Seyedesmaeil Mousavi
- Mette Mosgaard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1282-3998)
- Olindo Isabella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7673-0163)
- Frank J. van Rijnsoever (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4037-2792)
- Marianna Nigra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8673-6136)
- Janneke van der Leer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0707-952X)
- Christian May (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4852-1185)
- Maryse M.H. Chappin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6247-1930)
- Remi Elzinga
- Thaleia Konstantinou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7085-312X)
- Zhongxuan Ma
- Marjolein Hoogstraaten
- E. Mlecnik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8482-6322)
- Hans Hellsmark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3888-3446)
- Marianne Ryghaug (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3942-6810)
- Yuxi Dai
- Toon Meelen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4048-6239)
- Lars Coenen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5671-3988)
- Gerdien de Vries (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9486-7347)
- Martin Bloemendal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7059-8525)
- Reneé Heller
- Sybrith Marije Tiekstra
- Bart Bossink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9809-5121)
- Rudi Santbergen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9273-4244)
- David M. Reiner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2004-8696)
- Simona O. Negro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8532-0825)
- Patrik Söderholm (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2264-7043)
- Johannes Cornelius Brezet
- Rong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7802-5716)
- Wouter Boon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1218-193X)
- Adriaan van der Loos
- Anke van Hal
- Stefan Kwant
Institutions
- Tampere University of Applied Sciences (FI)
- Luleå University of Technology (SE)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Tampere University (FI)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (DE)
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (NO)
- Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (NL)
- Chalmers University of Technology (SE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Nyenrode Business University (NL)
- Aalborg University (DK)
- University of Twente (NL)
- Delft University of Technology (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Energy Research & Social Science
- Published
- 2025-03-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104018
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.32