A natural analogy to the diffusion of energy-efficient technologies

A new mathematical approach to the diffusion of energy efficient technologies is presented using as an analogy the diffusion of natural processes. This approach is applied to the diffusion of the electric arc furnace in Japan. The new approach offers as main advantage the incorporation in the mathematical formulation of the average effect of the barriers to, and the support measures for, innovation. The straightforward equivalence between the natural phenomena and the diffusion of innovation requires the abstraction of setting a dimension (and defining) the medium in which the diffusion takes place. This new approach opens new research paths to analysing under what circumstances innovations can take-off, the effect of barriers in the diffusion of energy efficient technologies or how the diffusion process is incorporated in energy-system models.

MOYA RIVERA Jose Antonio; 

2016-06-28

MDPI AG

JRC101278

1996-1073,   

http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/6/471/pdf,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC101278,   

10.3390/en9060471,