Upscaling Sustainable Energy Demonstrations

This research identifies the mechanisms that stimulate the upscaling of sustainable energy technologies within demonstration projects and programs, and in larger general and conventional application areas. By analyzing core publications about sustainable energy demonstration projects and programs of the last six years (2017-2022) an overview is made of the mechanisms that are active in demonstrations, and their scaling up effects within and outside sustainable energy demonstrations. The six mechanisms in demonstrations that stimulate upscaling within demonstrations, and in conventional settings outside demonstrations, are university-industry-government interaction, a coordinated flow of successive demonstrations, a supportive government policy, investments in complementary technology and infrastructure, presence of stimulating market forces, and usage of the economic benefits of scaling up. These mechanisms have a stimulating effect on two types of upscaling, which is demonstrative upscaling, which consists of three subtypes (growing, replicating, and accumulating), and transformative upscaling, which consists of two subtypes (reframing and anchoring). Policymakers, university researchers, and company professionals can use the insight into these mechanisms and upscaling effects to develop future policy, research, and practice that aims to further effectuate and accelerate the upscaling outcomes of sustainable energy technology demonstration projects and programs.

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