A new paper published in Research Policy and co-authored by Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED) researcher Dr Mari Martiskainen looks at the role of internet-based energy communities, or energy internet forums, in the low carbon transition.
The researchers argue that these communities can catalyse the uptake of small scale renewable energy technologies by expanding the market for such technologies beyond enthusiasts and environmentalists to mainstream consumers. These online forums also show how citizens can have a key role in the low carbon transition beyond the start-up phase.
The study focused on how consumers engaged with heat pumps in Finland, using both quantitative and qualitative data from the period of 2000-2013.
Read the full paper.
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