Experiments for Identifying Necessary and Missing Competences for a Smart and Sustainable Energy System

from the case studies.Finally, we discuss some of the limitations of our analysis and the approach in general, and suggest ways forward. Learning from field experiments for sustainable energy systemsIn the following, we draw on previous research, in particular in strategic niche management, to illustrate how field experiments are conceptualized as important sites for learning for the proponents of new technologies, for prospective users, and for society.We then turn explicitly to existing literature on how field experiments may reveal necessary and missing competences in society. The role of experiments in creating sustainable energy systemsHow could society promote particular (more sustainable) directions for technological change?Well-known examples are R&D support and support for the deployment of technologies, such as the feed-in-tariff for solar power.However, the governance paradigm of transition management proposes a more active role for government in actively searching for more sustainable future technologies together with stakeholders.In this perspective, alongside visions, targeted experimentation plays an important role.Transition management as a model of governance relies on a learning cycle of problem structuring, visioning, experimentation, policy development, implementation and adaptation (Kemp et al. 2007, 12).