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Heat Pumps: A Comparative Assessment of Innovation and Diffusion Policies in Sweden and Switzerland

Kiss, Bernadett LU orcid ; Neij, Lena LU and Jakob, Martin (2014) p.118-132
Abstract
The development and introduction of heat pumps provides an interesting illustration of policy influence and effectiveness in relation to energy technology innovation. Heat pumps have been supported by several countries since the 1970s as a strategy to improve energy efficiency, support energy security, reduce environmental degradation, and combat climate change. Sweden and Switzerland have been essential to the development and commercialization of heat pumps in Europe. In both countries, numerous policy incentives have lined the path of technology and market development. Early policy initiatives were poorly coordinated but supported technology development, entrepreneurial experimentation, knowledge development, and the involvement of... (More)
The development and introduction of heat pumps provides an interesting illustration of policy influence and effectiveness in relation to energy technology innovation. Heat pumps have been supported by several countries since the 1970s as a strategy to improve energy efficiency, support energy security, reduce environmental degradation, and combat climate change. Sweden and Switzerland have been essential to the development and commercialization of heat pumps in Europe. In both countries, numerous policy incentives have lined the path of technology and market development. Early policy initiatives were poorly coordinated but supported technology development, entrepreneurial experimentation, knowledge development, and the involvement of important actors in networks and organisations. The market collapse in the mid 1980s could have resulted in a total failure ‐ but did not. The research programmes continued in the 1980s, and a new set of stakeholders formed ‐ both publicly and privately funded researchers, authorities, and institutions ‐ and provided an important platform for

further development. In the 1990s and 2000s, Sweden and Switzerland introduced more coordinated and strategic policy incentives for the development of heat pumps. The approaches were flexible and adjusted over time. The policy interventions in both countries supported learning, successful development and diffusion processes, and cost reductions. This assessment of innovation and diffusion policies for heat pump systems can be used to generalise some insights for energy technology innovation policy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
innovation, policy, heat pumps
host publication
Energy Technology Innovation - Learning from Historical Successes and Failures
editor
Grübler, Arnulf and Wilson, Charlie
pages
118 - 132
publisher
Cambridge University Press
ISBN
978-1-107-02322-2
project
Policy Intervention for a Competitive Green Energy Economy
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3c607f88-10fc-48dd-b898-05059a45ca38 (old id 4247970)
alternative location
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/researchPrograms/TransitionstoNewTechnologies/04_Kiss_Heat_Pumps_WEB.pdf
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:34:43
date last changed
2023-04-18 18:26:41
@inbook{3c607f88-10fc-48dd-b898-05059a45ca38,
  abstract     = {{The development and introduction of heat pumps provides an interesting illustration of policy influence and effectiveness in relation to energy technology innovation. Heat pumps have been supported by several countries since the 1970s as a strategy to improve energy efficiency, support energy security, reduce environmental degradation, and combat climate change. Sweden and Switzerland have been essential to the development and commercialization of heat pumps in Europe. In both countries, numerous policy incentives have lined the path of technology and market development. Early policy initiatives were poorly coordinated but supported technology development, entrepreneurial experimentation, knowledge development, and the involvement of important actors in networks and organisations. The market collapse in the mid 1980s could have resulted in a total failure ‐ but did not. The research programmes continued in the 1980s, and a new set of stakeholders formed ‐ both publicly and privately funded researchers, authorities, and institutions ‐ and provided an important platform for<br/><br>
further development. In the 1990s and 2000s, Sweden and Switzerland introduced more coordinated and strategic policy incentives for the development of heat pumps. The approaches were flexible and adjusted over time. The policy interventions in both countries supported learning, successful development and diffusion processes, and cost reductions. This assessment of innovation and diffusion policies for heat pump systems can be used to generalise some insights for energy technology innovation policy.}},
  author       = {{Kiss, Bernadett and Neij, Lena and Jakob, Martin}},
  booktitle    = {{Energy Technology Innovation - Learning from Historical Successes and Failures}},
  editor       = {{Grübler, Arnulf and Wilson, Charlie}},
  isbn         = {{978-1-107-02322-2}},
  keywords     = {{innovation; policy; heat pumps}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{118--132}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  title        = {{Heat Pumps: A Comparative Assessment of Innovation and Diffusion Policies in Sweden and Switzerland}},
  url          = {{http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/researchPrograms/TransitionstoNewTechnologies/04_Kiss_Heat_Pumps_WEB.pdf}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}