THE EFFECT OF CHANGING NETWORK ECONOMICS ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

摘要

Network industries are undergoing radical changes in regulation, industrial organisation andrntechnologies. In the electricity sector technological trends include decentralised production of heat andrnpower, controllability of electricity transport, evolving multi-functionality of networks, enhancedrnpossibilities for demand side management, and increased possibilities for interfuel substitution.rnInstitutional changes include corporatisation, privatisation, unbundling/restructuring and introductionrnof competition. These changes also affect the network characteristics of the electricity industry. Thisrnpaper shows how distributed generation, which is often based on renewable energy technologies, couldrnbe affected by institutional and technological changes in the network component of the electricityrnindustry.