The chapters 1-4 start with a discussion section about literature. That section shows the critical reading by all group members, and confronts their various interpretations and lessons taken. A discussion about that confrontation will conclude about how the concepts and lessons from the literature apply to the sub-system under investigation. A table like this could be used to start this discussion, and applied to energy transition as example. Although your group may consider a different format, the section should present a confrontation of various interpretations from all group members.
|
Concept |
Me |
You |
|
Socio-tech system |
A specific technology is central in a ST system, think of the car example. Such technology requires related infrastructures and rules, organization and human behaviour etc. |
Since technology is everywhere in the current society, we live in a web of ST systems. In fact people with the same needs are the spider in such (web of) systems. |
|
TX energy production as a ST system |
Currently TX energy comes from the main land, and as such there is not an energy system at island scale. |
TX energy system includes the needs of energy intensive and energy extensive businesses, household users, and tourist as users. They are all facilitated by the same electricity net (manager), but can buy their energy green or grey from different providers. |
|
Sustainability transition |
A transition is not necessarily sustainable. It comes with the introduction of a new technology that starts to roll out new of major adaptations in infrastructures, rules, organisation and behaviour. |
Sustainability transition means that while the current system is unsustainable, the new system is. Therefore sustainability should be defined. Transition refers to the way to get there. |
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TX sustainable energy transition |
At TX the introduction of wind, PV, tidal energy or sea weed to feed the current electricity users, may result in disconnection from the main land. This development will require shifts in investments, grid improvements, a local energy company etc. I’m not sure if the current Dutch regulations allow; they may have to change. |
Sustainable energy should mean all renewable; no fossil or nuclear, but sun, wind, current or else. I’m not sure whether it is more sustainable when the island is self-sufficient or not. But it for sure will be more transparent if it is. |