Bush, RE and Bale, CSE orcid.org/0000-0002-2413-0673 (2017) The role of intermediaries in the transition to district heating. In: Energy Procedia. 15th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling 2016, 04-07 Sep 2016, Seoul, South Korea. Elsevier , pp. 490-499.
Abstract
For those countries, such as the UK, in which district heating and cooling has previously played little role in the energy system, the technology often struggles to break through the numerous and complex barriers to its introduction in the context of liberalised energy markets and competition with incumbent technologies such as natural gas networks. Progress is often slow and best practice is yet to be established. ‘Intermediaries’ are actors who facilitate knowledge sharing and build actor networks to enable the introduction of new technologies. This paper uses a case study of the UK to explore where and how the activities of these intermediary actors are currently supporting district heating development. An innovative method called a ‘decision theatre’ was used to collect empirical evidence from a range of local stakeholders involved in district heating projects. This method, which took place in the format of a group workshop, enables understanding of the interactions between stakeholders through each stage of the district heating development process. Lessons are drawn from this case study with regard to how intermediary activities can support the development of district heating in areas with little previous history of such systems. Three geographical scales of intermediary activity are identified (local, regional and national) as having different roles in enabling delivery of new district heating projects. Interactions between the three scales and how their roles might change as the sector develops are explored. The paper will highlight implications of the study for policymakers. In particular, a role is identified for intermediaries in creating a supportive institutional and policy environment that can enable development of large-scale, strategic networks.
Metadata
Item Type: | Proceedings Paper |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2017, The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License CC BY-NC-ND [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/] |
Keywords: | Intermediaries; Policy; Strategic Planning |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EPSRC EP/K022288/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jun 2016 11:20 |
Last Modified: | 05 Oct 2017 23:20 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.egypro.2017.05.098 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:101332 |