IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v157y2021ics0301421521000835.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Policy mixes and the policy learning process of energy transitions: Insights from the feed-in tariff policy and urban community solar in Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Mah, Daphne Ngar-yin
  • Cheung, Darren Man-wai
  • Leung, Michael K.H.
  • Wang, Maggie Yachao
  • Wong, Mandy Wai-ming
  • Lo, Kevin
  • Cheung, Altair T.F.

Abstract

Effectiveness of renewable energy feed-in tariff (FiT) varies across the world. Designing policy mixes of a package of policy instruments to optimise the normative effect of FiT is critical but has remained challenging and under-studied. This paper brings together the key concepts of policy mixes and policy learning to examine how the effectiveness of renewable energy policies can be improved, with reference to a recent FiT policy in Hong Kong focusing two prospective solar communities. Based on 99 in-depth interviews and workshop discussions involving 57 householders, we found that FiT was an effective policy in stimulating growth of new solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in some sub-sectors in Hong Kong, but has not yet mainstreamed solar at the community and city levels. The FiT was insufficient to address multiple non-economic barriers perceived by householders. The limited policy impacts of the FiT indicated that policy makers were able to attain technical learning, but faced major constraints in advancing to conceptual and social forms of policy learning. This paper concludes that policy makers should give closer attention to policy mixes and advanced forms of policy learning than choosing a single “most effective” policy instrument to unlock the under-used community solar potentials.

Suggested Citation

  • Mah, Daphne Ngar-yin & Cheung, Darren Man-wai & Leung, Michael K.H. & Wang, Maggie Yachao & Wong, Mandy Wai-ming & Lo, Kevin & Cheung, Altair T.F., 2021. "Policy mixes and the policy learning process of energy transitions: Insights from the feed-in tariff policy and urban community solar in Hong Kong," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:157:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521000835
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112214
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421521000835
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112214?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hana Kim, 2017. "A Community Energy Transition Model for Urban Areas: The Energy Self-Reliant Village Program in Seoul, South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Truffer, Bernhard & Markard, Jochen & Wustenhagen, Rolf, 2001. "Eco-labeling of electricity--strategies and tradeoffs in the definition of environmental standards," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(11), pages 885-897, September.
    3. Hodson, Mike & Marvin, Simon, 2010. "Can cities shape socio-technical transitions and how would we know if they were?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 477-485, May.
    4. Stokes, Leah C., 2013. "The politics of renewable energy policies: The case of feed-in tariffs in Ontario, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 490-500.
    5. Darghouth, Naïm R. & Barbose, Galen & Wiser, Ryan, 2011. "The impact of rate design and net metering on the bill savings from distributed PV for residential customers in California," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 5243-5253, September.
    6. Palm, Jenny, 2018. "Household installation of solar panels – Motives and barriers in a 10-year perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-8.
    7. Pyrgou, Andri & Kylili, Angeliki & Fokaides, Paris A., 2016. "The future of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme in Europe: The case of photovoltaics," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 94-102.
    8. Ritzenhofen, Ingmar & Spinler, Stefan, 2016. "Optimal design of feed-in-tariffs to stimulate renewable energy investments under regulatory uncertainty — A real options analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 76-89.
    9. Jenner, Steffen & Groba, Felix & Indvik, Joe, 2013. "Assessing the strength and effectiveness of renewable electricity feed-in tariffs in European Union countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 385-401.
    10. Arimura, Toshi H. & Hibiki, Akira & Katayama, Hajime, 2008. "Is a voluntary approach an effective environmental policy instrument?: A case for environmental management systems," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 281-295, May.
    11. Bauner, Christoph & Crago, Christine L., 2015. "Adoption of residential solar power under uncertainty: Implications for renewable energy incentives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 27-35.
    12. John Byrne & Job Taminiau & Kyung Nam Kim & Jeongseok Seo & Joohee Lee, 2016. "A solar city strategy applied to six municipalities: integrating market, finance, and policy factors for infrastructure‐scale photovoltaic development in Amsterdam, London, Munich, New York, Seoul, an," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 68-88, January.
    13. Eid, Cherrelle & Reneses Guillén, Javier & Frías Marín, Pablo & Hakvoort, Rudi, 2014. "The economic effect of electricity net-metering with solar PV: Consequences for network cost recovery, cross subsidies and policy objectives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 244-254.
    14. Marc D. Shapiro, 2005. "Equity and information: Information regulation, environmental justice, and risks from toxic chemicals," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(2), pages 373-398.
    15. Cory, Karlynn S. & Swezey, Blair G., 2007. "Renewable Portfolio Standards in the States: Balancing Goals and Rules," The Electricity Journal, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 21-32, May.
    16. Shen, Bo & Ghatikar, Girish & Lei, Zeng & Li, Jinkai & Wikler, Greg & Martin, Phil, 2014. "The role of regulatory reforms, market changes, and technology development to make demand response a viable resource in meeting energy challenges," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 814-823.
    17. Khanna, Madhu & Quimio, Wilma Rose H. & Bojilova, Dora, 1998. "Toxics Release Information: A Policy Tool for Environmental Protection," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 243-266, November.
    18. del Río, Pablo & Mir-Artigues, Pere, 2012. "Support for solar PV deployment in Spain: Some policy lessons," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(8), pages 5557-5566.
    19. Magali Delmas & Maria J. Montes‐Sancho & Jay P. Shimshack, 2010. "Information Disclosure Policies: Evidence From The Electricity Industry," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(2), pages 483-498, April.
    20. Kevin Lo & Daphne Ngar-Yin Mah & Guihua Wang & Michael KH Leung & Alex Y Lo & Peter Hills, 2018. "Barriers to adopting solar photovoltaic systems in Hong Kong," Energy & Environment, , vol. 29(5), pages 649-663, August.
    21. Rowlands, Ian H., 2005. "Envisaging feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic electricity: European lessons for Canada," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 51-68, February.
    22. Cristian Matti & Davide Consoli & Elvira Uyarra, 2017. "Multi level policy mixes and industry emergence: The case of wind energy in Spain," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(4), pages 661-683, June.
    23. Rogge, Karoline S. & Reichardt, Kristin, 2016. "Policy mixes for sustainability transitions: An extended concept and framework for analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1620-1635.
    24. Antonia Proka & Matthijs Hisschemöller & Derk Loorbach, 2018. "Transition without Conflict? Renewable Energy Initiatives in the Dutch Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, May.
    25. Hyunhoe Bae & Peter Wilcoxen & David Popp, 2010. "Information disclosure policy: Do state data processing efforts help more than the information disclosure itself?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 163-182.
    26. Florian Kern & Michael Howlett, 2009. "Implementing transition management as policy reforms: a case study of the Dutch energy sector," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 391-408, November.
    27. Paula Cayolla Trindade & Paula Antunes & Paulo Partidário, 2017. "SPP Toolbox: Supporting Sustainable Public Procurement in the Context of Socio-Technical Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-26, December.
    28. Couture, Toby & Gagnon, Yves, 2010. "An analysis of feed-in tariff remuneration models: Implications for renewable energy investment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 955-965, February.
    29. Hoppmann, Joern & Huenteler, Joern & Girod, Bastien, 2014. "Compulsive policy-making—The evolution of the German feed-in tariff system for solar photovoltaic power," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(8), pages 1422-1441.
    30. White, Lee V. & Lloyd, Bob & Wakes, Sarah J., 2013. "Are Feed-in Tariffs suitable for promoting solar PV in New Zealand cities?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 167-178.
    31. Ford, Rebecca & Walton, Sara & Stephenson, Janet & Rees, David & Scott, Michelle & King, Geoff & Williams, John & Wooliscroft, Ben, 2017. "Emerging energy transitions: PV uptake beyond subsidies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 138-150.
    32. Pontus Cerin, 2002. "Communication in corporate environmental reports," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(1), pages 46-65, March.
    33. Brummer, Vasco, 2018. "Community energy – benefits and barriers: A comparative literature review of Community Energy in the UK, Germany and the USA, the benefits it provides for society and the barriers it faces," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 187-196.
    34. Mah, Daphne Ngar-yin & Wang, Guihua & Lo, Kevin & Leung, Michael K.H. & Hills, Peter & Lo, Alex Y., 2018. "Barriers and policy enablers for solar photovoltaics (PV) in cities: Perspectives of potential adopters in Hong Kong," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 921-936.
    35. Zhu, Xufeng & Zhang, Chao, 2012. "Reducing information asymmetry in the power industry: Mandatory and voluntary information disclosure regulations of sulfur dioxide emission," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 704-713.
    36. Muhammad-Sukki, Firdaus & Ramirez-Iniguez, Roberto & Munir, Abu Bakar & Mohd Yasin, Siti Hajar & Abu-Bakar, Siti Hawa & McMeekin, Scott G. & Stewart, Brian G., 2013. "Revised feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic in the United Kingdom: A cloudy future ahead?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 832-838.
    37. Matisoff, Daniel C., 2013. "Different rays of sunlight: Understanding information disclosure and carbon transparency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 579-592.
    38. Zhi, Qiang & Sun, Honghang & Li, Yanxi & Xu, Yurui & Su, Jun, 2014. "China’s solar photovoltaic policy: An analysis based on policy instruments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 308-319.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wadim Strielkowski & Lubomír Civín & Elena Tarkhanova & Manuela Tvaronavičienė & Yelena Petrenko, 2021. "Renewable Energy in the Sustainable Development of Electrical Power Sector: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-24, December.
    2. Alex W. J. Cheng & Harry F. Lee, 2022. "Energy Transition towards Sustainable Development: Perspective of Individuals’ Engagement Amid Transition Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-16, August.
    3. Zhou, Dequn & Dong, Zhuojia & Sang, Xiuzhi & Wang, Qunwei & Yu, Xianyu, 2023. "Do feed-in tariff reduction and green certificate trading effectively promote regional sustainable development？," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    4. Cristian Tapia & Diana Ulloa & Mayra Pacheco-Cunduri & Jorge Hernández-Ambato & Jesús Rodríguez-Flores & Victor Herrera-Perez, 2022. "Optimal Fuzzy-Based Energy Management Strategy to Maximize Self-Consumption of PV Systems in the Residential Sector in Ecuador," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-28, July.
    5. Eko Supriyanto & Jayan Sentanuhady & Wisnu Hozaifa Hasan & Ariyana Dwiputra Nugraha & Muhammad Akhsin Muflikhun, 2022. "Policy and Strategies of Tariff Incentives Related to Renewable Energy: Comparison between Indonesia and Other Developing and Developed Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Xueyang Wang & Xiumei Sun & Mahmood Ahmad & Jiawei Chen, 2024. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Towards high-quality energy development: role of trade liberalization," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 1-36, February.
    7. Chong, Zhaotian & Wang, Qunwei & Wang, Lei, 2023. "Is the photovoltaic power generation policy effective in China? A quantitative analysis of policy synergy based on text mining," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    8. Jiang, Zihao & Shi, Jiarong, 2023. "Government intervention and technological innovation in the wind power industry in China: The role of industrial environmental turbulence," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 344(C).
    9. Che, Xiao-Jing & Zhou, P. & Chai, Kah-Hin, 2022. "Regional policy effect on photovoltaic (PV) technology innovation: Findings from 260 cities in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ossenbrink, Jan, 2017. "How feed-in remuneration design shapes residential PV prosumer paradigms," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 239-255.
    2. Matisoff, Daniel C., 2013. "Different rays of sunlight: Understanding information disclosure and carbon transparency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 579-592.
    3. Yu, Chin-Hsien & Wu, Xiuqin & Lee, Wen-Chieh & Zhao, Jinsong, 2021. "Resource misallocation in the Chinese wind power industry: The role of feed-in tariff policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. Ramli, Makbul A.M. & Twaha, Ssennoga, 2015. "Analysis of renewable energy feed-in tariffs in selected regions of the globe: Lessons for Saudi Arabia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 649-661.
    5. Gupta, Dipti & Das, Abhiman & Garg, Amit, 2019. "Financial support vis-à-vis share of wind generation: Is there an inflection point?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 1064-1074.
    6. Huang, Ping, 2019. "The verticality of policy mixes for sustainability transitions: A case study of solar water heating in China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(10).
    7. López Prol, Javier, 2018. "Regulation, profitability and diffusion of photovoltaic grid-connected systems: A comparative analysis of Germany and Spain," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 1170-1181.
    8. Sinsel, Simon R. & Markard, Jochen & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2020. "How deployment policies affect innovation in complementary technologies—evidence from the German energy transition," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    9. Dong, Changgui & Zhou, Runmin & Li, Jiaying, 2021. "Rushing for subsidies: The impact of feed-in tariffs on solar photovoltaic capacity development in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    10. Buckman, Greg & Sibley, Jon & Bourne, Richard, 2014. "The large-scale solar feed-in tariff reverse auction in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 14-22.
    11. Pérez de Arce, Miguel & Sauma, Enzo & Contreras, Javier, 2016. "Renewable energy policy performance in reducing CO2 emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 272-280.
    12. Martin, Nigel J. & Rice, John L., 2017. "Examining the use of concept analysis and mapping software for renewable energy feed-in tariff design," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 211-220.
    13. Briguglio, Marie & Formosa, Glenn, 2017. "When households go solar: Determinants of uptake of a Photovoltaic Scheme and policy insights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 154-162.
    14. Frank, Alejandro Germán & Gerstlberger, Wolfgang & Paslauski, Carolline Amaral & Lerman, Laura Visintainer & Ayala, Néstor Fabián, 2018. "The contribution of innovation policy criteria to the development of local renewable energy systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 353-365.
    15. Lacchini, Corrado & Rüther, Ricardo, 2015. "The influence of government strategies on the financial return of capital invested in PV systems located in different climatic zones in Brazil," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 786-798.
    16. Antonelli, Marco & Desideri, Umberto, 2014. "The doping effect of Italian feed-in tariffs on the PV market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 583-594.
    17. Nuñez-Jimenez, Alejandro & Knoeri, Christof & Hoppmann, Joern & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2022. "Beyond innovation and deployment: Modeling the impact of technology-push and demand-pull policies in Germany's solar policy mix," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    18. Mukisa, Nicholas & Zamora, Ramon & Lie, Tek Tjing, 2021. "Store-on grid scheme model for grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems for industrial sector application: Benefits analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1257-1275.
    19. Edmondson, Duncan L. & Kern, Florian & Rogge, Karoline S., 2019. "The co-evolution of policy mixes and socio-technical systems: Towards a conceptual framework of policy mix feedback in sustainability transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(10).
    20. Seihun Yang & Weiming Chen & Hana Kim, 2021. "Building Energy Commons: Three Mini-PV Installation Cases in Apartment Complexes in Seoul," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:157:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521000835. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.