Future converging infrastructures

Assessing the consequences of increasing sector coupling and integration

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.29.2.17

Keywords:

complexity, control, socio-technical change, decision making, uncertainty

Abstract

The process of converging infrastructures – the integration and coupling of the energy, transport, heating and cooling sectors – challenges technological paradigms and economic structures as well as patterns of individual and collective action. Renewable energy sources (RES), physical and digital networks, and new market opportunities promise more efficient use of energy and reduced emissions. However, every technological solution creates new problems. Therefore, we propose to analyze possible developments by exposing socio-technical problems. This contribution analyses recent studies drawing on sector coupling and assesses the consequences of converging infrastructures.

References

acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering; Leopoldina – German National Academy of Sciences; Akademieunion – Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities (2018): Coupling the different energy sectors. Options for the next phase of the energy transition. Munich: acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering; Leopoldina – German National Academy of Sciences; Akademieunion – Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.

Ausfelder, Florian et al. (2017): Sektorkopplung. Untersuchungen und Überlegungen zur Entwicklung eines integrierten Energiesystems. Munich: acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering; Leopoldina – German National Academy of Sciences; Akademieunion – Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.

Bauknecht, Dierk et al. (2018): Visionen und Pfadentscheidungen der Energiewende. Ein Bericht im Rahmen des Kopernikus-Projekts ENavi. Potsdam: Geschäftsstelle des Kopernikus-Projekts Energiewende-Navigationssystem | ENavi.

Beckman, Svante (1994): On systemic technology. In: Jane Summerton (ed.): Changing large technical systems. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 311–331.

BMUB – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (2016): Klimaschutzplan 2050. Klimaschutzpolitische Grundsätze und Ziele der Bundesregierung. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit.

Büscher, Christian (2018): Framing energy as a sociotechnical problem of control, change, and action. In: Christian Büscher, Jens Schippl and Patrick Sumpf (eds.): Energy as a sociotechnical problem. An interdisciplinary perspective on control, change, and action in energy transitions. London: Routledge, pp. 14–38.

Canzler, Weert; Knie, Andreas (2013): Schlaue Netze. Wie die Energie- und Verkehrswende gelingt. Munich: Oekom.

Coutard, Olivier (1994): Economics of grid systems in reconfiguration. Competition in the electricity supply industry. In: Jane Summerton (ed.): Changing large technical systems. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 163–189.

David, Martin; Gross, Matthias (2019): Futurizing politics and the sustainability of real-world experiments. What role for innovation and exnovation in the German energy transition? In: Sustainability Science 14 (4), pp. 991–1000.

D’haeseleer, William; de Vries, Laurens; Kang, Chongqing; Delarue, Erik (2017): Flexibility challenges for energy markets. Fragmented policies and regulations lead to significant concerns. In: IEEE Power and Energy Magazine 15 (1), pp. 61–71.

Edwards, Paul (2004): Infrastructure and modernity: Force, time, and social organization in the history of socio-technical systems. In: Thomas Misa, Philip Brey and Andrew Feenberg (eds.): Modernity and technology. Cambridge: MIT Press, pp. 185–225.

Franssen, Maarten; Kroes, Peter (2009): Sociotechnical systems. In: Jan Olsen, Stig Pedersen and Vincent Hendricks (eds.): A companion to the philosophy of technology. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 223–226.

Geels, Frank; Schot, Johan (2007): Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways. In: Research Policy 36 (3), pp. 399–417.

Hellström, Tomas (2009): New vistas for technology and risk assessment? The OECD programme on emerging systemic risks and beyond. In: Technology in Society 31, pp. 325–331.

Henning, Hans-Martin; Palzer, Andreas (2015): Was kostet die Energiewende? Wege zur Transformation des deutschen Energiesystems bis 2050. Freiburg: Fraunhofer ISE.

Hoffrichter, Albert; Beckers, Thorsten (2018): Cross-border coordination as a prerequisite for efficient sector coupling in interconnected power systems. Institutional economic considerations on allocating decision-making competencies in the European Union. Berlin: Technische Universität Berlin.

Kröger, Wolfgang; Nan, Cen (2018): Power systems in transition. Dealing with complexity. In: Christian Büscher, Jens Schippl and Patrick Sumpf (eds.): Energy as a sociotechnical problem. An interdisciplinary perspective on control, change, and action in energy transitions. London: Routledge, pp. 41–78.

Mayntz, Renate (2009): The changing governance of large technical infrastructure systems. In: Renate Mayntz (ed.): Über Governance. Institutionen und Prozesse politischer Regelung. Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag, pp. 121–150.

Nightingale, Paul; Brady, Tim; Davies, Andrew; Hall, Jeremy (2003): Capacity utilization revisited. Software, control and the growth of large technical systems. In: Industrial and Corporate Change 12 (3), pp. 477–517.

O’Malley, Mark; Kroposki, Benjamin (2017): Unlocking flexibility. Energy systems integration. In: IEEE Power and Energy Magazine 15 (1), pp. 10–14.

Robinius, Martin et al. (2017a): Linking the power and transport sectors. Part 1: Modelling a sector coupling scenario for Germany. In: Energies 10 (7), p. 22.

Robinius, Martin et al. (2017b): Linking the power and transport sectors. Part 2: Modelling a sector coupling scenario for Germany. In: Energies 10 (7), p. 23.

Schwan, Gesine; Treichel, Katja; Höh, Anne (2016): Sektorkopplung. Von der Stromwende zur Energiewende. Berlin: HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA Governance Platform.

Wietschel, Martin et al. (2018): Sektorkopplung. Definition, Chancen und Herausforderungen. Karlsruhe: Fraunhofer ISI.

Winter, Martin (2018): Effiziente Kopplung der Sektoren Energie und Verkehr. Berlin: Technische Universität Berlin.

Downloads

Published

17.07.2020

How to Cite

1.
Büscher C, Scheer D, Nabitz L. Future converging infrastructures: Assessing the consequences of increasing sector coupling and integration. TATuP [Internet]. 2020 Jul. 17 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];29(2):17-23. Available from: https://www.tatup.de/index.php/tatup/article/view/6811

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>