Publication
Title
A review on learning effects in prospective technology assessment
Author
Abstract
Global environmental problems have urged the need for developing sustainable technologies. However, new technologies that enter the market have often higher economic costs and potentially higher environmental impacts than conventional technologies. This can be explained by learning effects: a production process that is performed for the first time runs less smooth than a production process that has been in operation for years. To obtain a fair estimation of the potential of a new technology, learning effects need to be included. A review on the current literature on learning effects was conducted in order to provide guidelines on how to include learning effects in prospective technology assessment. Based on the results of this review, five recommendations have been formulated and an integration of learning effects in the structure of prospective technology assessment has been proposed. These five recommendations include the combined use of learning effects on the component level and on the end product level; the combined use of learning effects on the technical, economic and environmental level; the combined use of extrapolated values and expert estimates; the combined use of learning-by-doing and learning-by-searching effects and; a tier-based method, including quality criteria, to calculate the learning effect. These five complementary strategies could lead to a clearer perspective on the environmental impact and cost structure of the new technology and a fairer comparison base with conventional technologies, potentially resulting in a faster adoption and a shorter time-to-market for sustainable technologies.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. - Oxford, 1997, currens
Publication
Oxford : Pergamon-elsevier science ltd , 2020
ISSN
1364-0321 [print]
1879-0690 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.RSER.2020.109937
Volume/pages
130 (2020) , p. 1-16
Article Reference
109937
ISI
000548790900008
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Policy research centre sustainable materials management in a circular economy
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 09.07.2020
Last edited 12.12.2024
To cite this reference