Creation and Adoption of Energy-related Innovations

One of the main goals of the Energy Strategy 2050 is the exploitation of the existing energy efficiency potentials, whereas the size of the efficiency potential strongly depends on the development and the adoption of energy-related innovations. Consequently, it is the objective of this project to improve our knowledge about the drivers and potentials of both the adoption and creation of energy-saving and more generally energy-related innovation. Our study will be based on firm-level information. Firms are not only the main source of energy-related innovation, but they are also responsible for a considerable share of the total energy consumption, which is larger than that of households. Accordingly, a better understanding of the adoption and innovation mechanisms within firms is important in order to develop efficient policy measures. More concretely, we will investigate in a first set of econometric models: (a) the main determinants of the adoption/diffusion of energy-related innovations based on technology diffusion theory including motives, obstacles and policy measures; (b) the link between technology adoption and environmental performance (e.g., CO2 reduction) as well as (c) the link between the adoption of energy-related technologies and firm performance. In a second set of models, we will then analyze: (d) the drivers of the generation of energy-related innovation and (e) the relationship between the generation of energy-related innovation and firm performance. The project is a collaboration between KOF (Swiss Economic Institute), WIFO (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) in Austria, and the ZEW (Center for European Economic Research) in Germany. It will be based on specific survey data, collected for a representative sample of firms in the three countries Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In such a way the data will enable comparative analysis among the three countries involved and provide a significantly more elaborated picture of the adoption and innovation process with respect to energy-related technologies than it is usually found in the relevant literature. The country comparison is of particular interest for Switzerland, since the other two countries, Austria and Germany, are often perceived to be more advanced in their environmental policy. Thus, policy lessons may be learnt from relating the differences between the respective policies with our empirical findings from the micro data. Accordingly, our analyses will allow for a better understanding of the consequences of policy measures for the entire adoption process and its performance implications. In such a way, we contribute to improve evidence-based policy making in order to reach the goals of the energy strategy 2050. The additional knowledge about the mechanisms of dissemination of existing energy-related technologies as well as the processes of generation of new such technologies including knowledge about the potential effectiveness of policy measures would supply policy-makers with the appropriate information for a better implementation of measures needed to achieve the program goals but also for a better understanding of potential obstacles.

No additional funding sources recorded.