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Who Beats the Dutch Tax Department? Tracing 20 Years of Niche–Regime Interactions on Collective Solar PV Production in The Netherlands

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  • Henk-Jan Kooij

    (Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HP Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Arnoud Lagendijk

    (Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HP Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Marieke Oteman

    (Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HP Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

In the past years, Dutch citizens have experimented with various kinds of innovations to organize the collective production of renewable energy, including shared wind power and solar PV installations. Most of these attempts failed mainly due to legal issues and tax rules. Yet, one model for solar PV on collective roofs was implemented more widely, namely the postcode rose (PCR, postcoderoos): a form of cooperative solar PV production within a set of adjacent postcode areas. Set within a broader transition perspective, this article studies the emergence and evolution of the PCR as an example of a successful social innovation in the energy transition, through an innovation biography and mapping of the evolution of the social and institutional network around the innovation. The various attempts for collective solar PV, with different degrees of success and uptake into the regime, present a key aspect of niche development, namely associational work (circulation and mobilization) focused on regime change. In conclusion, the innovation path of the PCR emphasizes the importance of the political and associational in the energy transition and in transition thinking.

Suggested Citation

  • Henk-Jan Kooij & Arnoud Lagendijk & Marieke Oteman, 2018. "Who Beats the Dutch Tax Department? Tracing 20 Years of Niche–Regime Interactions on Collective Solar PV Production in The Netherlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2807-:d:162558
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Hoppe & Gerdien De Vries, 2018. "Social Innovation and the Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Nick Verkade & Johanna Höffken, 2019. "Collective Energy Practices: A Practice-Based Approach to Civic Energy Communities and the Energy System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, June.
    3. Wittmayer, Julia M. & Avelino, Flor & Pel, Bonno & Campos, Inês, 2021. "Contributing to sustainable and just energy systems? The mainstreaming of renewable energy prosumerism within and across institutional logics," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Olaoluwa Sunday Ogunleye & Frans Coenen & Thomas Hoppe, 2022. "Stakeholder Perspectives on Community Energy Contributing to the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and Improving Energy Security in Nigeria," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-25, October.
    5. Tomasi, Silvia, 2022. "The (Non) impact of the Spanish “Tax on the Sun” on photovoltaics prosumers uptake," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    6. Lagendijk, Arnoud & Hillebrand, Bas & Kalmar, Eva & van Marion, Ingrid & van der Sanden, Maarten, 2019. "Blockchain innovation and framing in the Netherlands: How a technological object turns into a ‘hyperobject’," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    7. Lagendijk, Arnoud & Kooij, Henk-Jan & Veenman, Sietske & Oteman, Marieke, 2021. "Noisy monsters or beacons of transition: The framing and social (un)acceptance of Dutch community renewable energy initiatives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    8. Julia Maria Wittmayer & Tessa de Geus & Bonno Pel & F. Avelino & Sabine Hielscher & Thomas Hoppe & Marie Susan Mühlemeier & Agata Stasik & Sem Oxenaar & Karoline K.S. Rogge & Vivian Visser & Esther Ma, 2020. "Beyond instrumentalism: Broadening the understanding of social innovation in socio-technical energy systems," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/312323, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    9. Esther C. van der Waal & Alexandra M. Das & Tineke van der Schoor, 2020. "Participatory Experimentation with Energy Law: Digging in a ‘Regulatory Sandbox’ for Local Energy Initiatives in the Netherlands," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.

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