Sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations: Reviewing research, market and societal trends
Review article, 2025
Research into the impact of innovative sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations is crucial to diversifying, scaling up, and accelerating the sustainable energy transition. Although there is vast research into sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations, research literature offers a fragmented collection of findings. A coherent overview of themes and insights regarding the transformative impact of innovative sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations on sustainable energy systems from the past, present, and near future is lacking and necessary to increase experiments and demonstrations' impact on the sustainable energy transition. The research in this study fills this knowledge gap by providing such an overview and yields novel insights into the organized function and impact of experiments and demonstrations. It spans a broad spectrum of sustainable energy technologies, the empirical domains where these are invented, developed and applied, and the stakeholders involved. The overview is the outcome of a Delphi study in which the insights of 47 international scientific research experts in sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations are bundled and explained. This study presents a thematic overview of the significant insights regarding past and current sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations and outlines a research agenda for the future. Policymakers, practitioners, and scientists can leverage this to inform their sustainable energy policies, business strategies, and research programs.
Pilot projects
Technology
Demonstrations
Transitions
Experiments
Sustainable energy
Demonstration plans
Pilot plants
innovation
Author
Sandra Hasanefendic
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Marjolein Hoogstraaten
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Martin Bloemendal
Delft University of Technology
Wouter Boon
Utrecht University
Han Brezet
Aalborg University
Maryse Chappin
Utrecht University
Lars Coenen
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Yuxi Dai
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Remi Elzinga
Utrecht University
Paula Femenias
Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Design
Johan Frishammar
Luleå University of Technology
Nicolien van der Grijp
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Anke van Hal
Nyenrode Business University
Elizabeth von Hauff
Technische Universität Dresden
Fraunhofer Society
Renée Heller
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Hans Hellsmark
Environmental Systems Analysis 00
Thomas Hoppe
University of Twente
Olindo Isabella
Delft University of Technology
Matthijs J. Janssen
Utrecht University
Jenni Kaipainen
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH)
Tamas Keviczky
Delft University of Technology
Mohammad Ali Khosravi
Delft University of Technology
Thaleia Konstantinou
Delft University of Technology
Stefan Kwant
Utrecht University
Janneke van der Leer
Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Design
Adriaan van der Loos
Utrecht University
Zhongxuan Ma
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Christian May
Fraunhofer Society
Toon Meelen
Utrecht University
Erwin Mlecnik
Delft University of Technology
Trivess Moore
RMIT University
Mette Alberg Mosgaard
Aalborg University
Seyedesmaeil Mousavi
Eindhoven University of Technology
Simona O. Negro
Utrecht University
Gregory Nemet
University of Wisconsin Madison
Marianna Nigra
Polytechnic University of Turin
David Reiner
University of Cambridge
Frank van Rijnsoever
Utrecht University
Marianne Ryghaug
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Rudi Santbergen
Delft University of Technology
Svein Gunnar Sjøtun
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Iva Ridjan Skov
Aalborg University
Tomas Moe Skjølsvold
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Carla Smink
Aalborg University
Patrik Soderholm
Luleå University of Technology
Sybrith Tiekstra
Aalborg University
Philip Vardon
Delft University of Technology
Gerdien de Vries
Delft University of Technology
Rong Wang
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Bart Bossink
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Energy Research and Social Science
22146296 (ISSN) 22146326 (eISSN)
Vol. 122 104018Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Construction Management
Areas of Advance
Energy
DOI
10.1016/j.erss.2025.104018