Transformation and Innovation in Power Systems (TIPS) – Governance and diffusion of innovation in electricity systems in the context of ecological and social development processes

TIPS – Transformation and Innovation in Power Systems examines the sustainable transformation of the electricity system as a socio-ecological process of radical change. The starting point is an electricity system undergoing a period of significant upheaval, characterised by liberalisation and concentration, globalisation and individualisation, changing state functions, and the rapid development of decentralised technical alternatives and information technologies. The project views electricity systems as a central interface between people, society and nature, and thus as a prominent field in which societal relationships with nature and the concept of sustainability are concretely regulated. Socio-ecological transformation processes are regarded as only partially controllable and follow complex dynamics. The research team’s aim is to identify different transformation dynamics and to examine the extent to which these processes can be modulated. The focus is on the concepts of innovation and governance; innovations are understood in evolutionary terms, and the conditions and possibilities for shaping social and technical innovation processes form a key focus. Key questions concern observable transformation processes, their driving influences, possible future development pathways, their assessment in the light of sustainability, and starting points for strategies to steer towards sustainable pathways. The interdisciplinary team works at the interface between natural and social science methods and seeks systematic feedback on interim results. Sub-projects address institutions, innovation and the market; innovative consumer behaviour; policy governance in infrastructure sectors; technical innovation and intervention; innovation and ecology; innovation and the region; and the model-based evaluation of transformation strategies.