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An Integrative Spatial Perspective on Energy Transition: Renewable Energy Niches

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Smart Technology Trends in Industrial and Business Management

Part of the book series: EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing ((EAISICC))

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Abstract

The shift towards sustainable use of renewable energy accompanied by noteworthy improvements in energy efficiency and reduced consumption is considered as a fundamental element of energy transition. However, framing the role of the sustainable energy development in a monofunctional way does not allow to use its multifunctional potential linked to sustainable development efficiently and may result in disconnection between energy and broader spatial and urban development agenda. This, in turn, can underplay the importance of potential synergy effects between renewable energy production and use and its localized context. This paper presents the narrative that single although innovative solutions are insufficient and poor integration of sustainable energy initiatives creates barriers to achieve sustainability and limits potential synergies with their spatial context. We discuss this phenomenon in relation to new demands on integrative and spatially sensitive approaches to the renewable energy development, often catalysed by ICT hand in hand with the implementation of smart grids – a backbone of the smart city concept. In our attempt was to better understand how renewable energy systems and initiatives emerge, how to maintain and enhance them, and under which conditions they co-evolve with their unique context in a more structured and productive way towards the vision of smart city and hence also recognizes the multifunctional potential of sustainable energy developments. In order to do so, we propose to learn more from both spatial planning and transition management (niche-based) perspectives. Finally, this paper outlines several areas for further research as well as reminds some of the related scientific challenges and disparities between energy and spatial planning.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For example, given the centrality of carbon reduction (e.g. of a spatial unit such as country/region/city/building) within policies, strategies and projects and emphasis on their economic feasibility over other aspects (such as impacts on sustainability, architecture and urbanism, landscape, biodiversity, etc.).

  2. 2.

    Also in the short term, referring to the 2020 Climate and Energy Package which introduced three key objectives: a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20% share of renewables in total energy consumption and a 20% improvement in the EU’s energy efficiency by 2020 [9], Renewable energy Directive, Energy Efficiency Directive.

  3. 3.

    For instance, see also [15, 21, 26].

  4. 4.

    As in [6, 9, 15, 17, 19, 35, 36].

  5. 5.

    For example, in [34, 47, 49].

  6. 6.

    We can follow the trend of moving from centralized energy systems towards alternative practices involving nonconventional electricity generation systems characteristic for decentralized energy generation and supply, which are becoming increasingly attractive options [1, 2, 30, 49].

  7. 7.

    Territorial capital can be described as the system of territorial assets of economic, cultural, social and environmental nature that ensures the development potential of places [10].

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Acknowledgement

This contribution is the result of the project implementation: SPECTRA+ No. 26240120002 “Centre of Excellence for the Development of Settlement Infrastructure of Knowledge Economy” supported by the Research and Development Operational Programme funded by the ERDF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SPECTRA Centre of Excellence EU, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Filip Gulan, Maros Finka & Michal Varga

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  1. Filip Gulan
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  2. Maros Finka
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Correspondence to Maros Finka .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Trnava, Slovakia

    Dagmar Cagáňová

  2. Department of Industrial Engineering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice, Prešov, Slovakia

    Michal Balog

  3. Department of Industrial Engineering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice, Prešov, Slovakia

    Lucia Knapčíková

  4. Faculty of Management Science and Informatics, University of Žilina, Žilina, Slovakia

    Jakub Soviar

  5. Temsa Ulaşım Araçları San. ve Tic. A.Ş., Seyhan, Adana, Turkey

    Serkan Mezarcıöz

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Gulan, F., Finka, M., Varga, M. (2019). An Integrative Spatial Perspective on Energy Transition: Renewable Energy Niches. In: Cagáňová, D., Balog, M., Knapčíková, L., Soviar, J., Mezarcıöz, S. (eds) Smart Technology Trends in Industrial and Business Management. EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76998-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76998-1_2

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