Much of the policy approach still takes a top-down, centralised view of the system, and is dominated by the supply side. At the same time, when you speak to those within the sector you get a sense that many of the new solutions that are entering the system across generation, heat and the demand side, are doing so in a random way – it’s all a bit of a scramble as companies chase value in the system. This market-driven approach is a long way from the strategic analysis and direction that is increasingly needed to ensure we are putting in the most sensible solution for any particular area – not only in terms of the system and its operation, across different vectors, but also in terms of cost and acceptability. We could easily be locking-in the wrong technologies, in the wrong place, for the wrong cost, with little or no public consent. The current policy approach seems to be based on observing and reacting, in respect to system change; this seems increasingly not-fit-for-purpose. There is a way to potentially reconcile these three issues i.e. 1) putting end users into the centre of the system; 2) taking a whole systems approach; 3) taking a strategic approach to transforming the system. Instead of focussing on a centralised, top-down, approach to system design, operation and policy making/regulation, based around large and in some cases inflexible technologies, the system should be optimised from the bottom up
IGov 12th Sept 2016 read more »