Description
Book SynopsisTechnological learning is a key driver behind the improvement of energy technologies and subsequent reduction of production costs. Understanding how and why production costs for energy technologies decline, and whether they will continue to do so in the future, is of crucial importance for policy makers, industrial stakeholders and scientists alike. This timely and informative book therefore provides a comprehensive review of technological development and cost reductions for renewable energy, clean fossil fuel and energy-efficient demand-side technologies.
It responds to the need for a quality-controlled data set of experience curves, including assessment of measurement methodology, technological knowledge and associated cost. The expert contributors present a thorough overview and discussion of the pitfalls of applying the experience curve approach, including aspects such as geographical system boundaries, whether the slope of the experience curves is constant or not, statistical error and sensitivity analysis of experience curves, and whether the experience curve approach can be utilized to quantify improvements in energy efficiency. A clear set of recommendations for the use of the experience curve approach is also prescribed.
Providing a significant contribution to the current literature on energy and climate models, scenario analysis, and methodological lessons on experience curves, this book will strongly appeal to academics and students in the areas focusing on energy and public sector economics. Policy makers in these fields will also find the book to be of great interest.
Trade Review‘This expert analysis provides an important contribution to understanding the technicalities of energy technology cost dynamics. Given the urgent need for delivery of low-cost renewable energy technologies in particular, it is vital to understand how to accelerate this process of technological learning.’ -- Miguel Mendonca, World Future Council, Germany
‘“Experience curves” are an important instrument for policy makers. This book has a thorough discussion of such “curves” for a large number of energy technologies and will therefore be very useful around the world.’ -- José Goldemberg, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Table of ContentsContents: Foreword Clas-Otto Wene 1. Introduction Martin Junginger, Wilfried van Sark and André Faaij PART I: THE USE OF EXPERIENCE CURVES FOR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES: AN INTRODUCTION 2. The Experience Curve Approach: History, Methodological Aspects and Applications Martin Junginger, Wilfried van Sark, Sondes Kahouli-Brahmi and Gerrit Jan Schaeffer 3. General Aspects and Caveats of Experience Curve Analysis Wilfried van Sark, Gregory Nemet, Sondes Kahouli-Brahmi, Lena Neij and Clas-Otto Wene 4. Putting Experience Curves in Context: Links to and between Technology Development, Market Diffusion, Learning Mechanisms and Systems Innovation Theory Martin Junginger, Roald Suurs, Geert Verbong and Gerrit Jan Schaeffer 5. The Use of Experience Curves in Energy Models Sander Lensink, Sondes Kahouli-Brahmi and Wilfried van Sark PART II: CASE STUDIES 6. Onshore Wind Energy Martin Junginger, Paul Lako, Lena Neij, Wouter Engels and David Milborrow 7. Offshore Wind Energy Paul Lako, Martin Junginger, Lena Neij, Wouter Engels and Sander Lensink 8. Photovoltaic Solar Energy Wilfried van Sark, Gregory Nemet, Gerrit Jan Schaeffer and Erik Alsema 9. Concentrating Solar Thermal Electricity Technology Wilfried van Sark and Paul Lako 10. Bioenergy André Faaij and Martin Junginger 11. Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Plants Ric Hoefnagels, Anna Bergek and Paul Lako 12. Pulverized Coal-fired Power Plants Paul Lako, Sonia Yeh and Machteld van den Broek 13. Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) Technologies Machteld van den Broek, Sonia Yeh, Ric Hoefnagels, Martin Junginger, Edward Rubin and André Faaij 14. Nuclear Power Paul Lako, Aliki van Heek and Geoffrey Rothwell 15. Household Appliances Martin Weiss, Larry Dale and Michael McNeil 16. Lighting Technologies Martin Weiss, Philippine de T’Serclaes and Willy Taelman 17. Space Heating and Cooling Martin Weiss, Reinhard Madlener and Martin Jakob 18. The Chemical Sector Martin Patel, Martin Weiss, Tristan Simon and Andrea Ramírez Ramírez PART III: SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 19. Overview and Comparison of Experience Curves for Energy Technologies Martin Junginger, Martin Weiss, Wilfried van Sark and André Faaij 20. Methodological Lessons and Recommendations for Scientists and Modellers Wilfried van Sark, Martin Junginger and André Faaij 21. Lessons on Technological Learning for Policy Makers and Industry André Faaij, Martin Junginger and Wilfried van Sark References Index
