Innovation and institutional change: the transition to a sustainable ...

Stability and transformation in the electricity system 105
independent project management office, BEOP, was founded. Two basic
principles were under research, the Horizontal Axis Turbine (HAT) and the
Vertical Axis Turbine (VAT). Fokker, ECN and an engineering company
were involved in VAT research. Principal partners in HAT research were the
National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), TU Delft, ECN and Stork.
A Dutch wind industry emerged in this period. One of the pioneers in the
construction of wind turbines, Henk Lagerwey, started his own company and
was affiliated to the TU Eindhoven. More companies emerged during the
seventies (Polenco in 1976/7, later renamed Nedwind, Windmaster in 1978)
and in the beginning of the eighties. NOW stimulated the development of
various prototypes and nine companies were supported actively (Verbong,
1999).
Small-scale application of wind energy was mainly driven by possible
transfer to developing countries. A wind energy group at the TU Eindhoven
was involved in projects as early as 1974, and in collaboration with TNO
and RUG, later followed by DHV, UT and LUW (Smulders, 2000)
developed consultancy projects and training on wind energy in developing
countries, funded by development aid.
In overview, early efforts in wind energy were shaped by:
– The existence of two coalitions for wind energy: one based on
‘institutional logics’ from the electricity regime and involved in R&D to
integrated large scale wind turbines in centralised electricity generation;
another coalition, more grassroots oriented, and focussed on small scale
development and implementation of wind energy both in the Dutch and
developing countries’ setting. These coalitions thus initiated from
contrasting perceptions regarding the nature of the problem and solutions,
different frames of reference as the grassroots coalition developed from a
local needs orientation and the energy coalition from a central station
model orientation (see also Grin and Van de Graaf, 1996, for a similar
interpretation of the Danish wind case);
– The initial belief within the electricity sector that development of large
scale wind turbines was the only feasible route for wind energy
application in electricity generation;
– A focus on the technical aspects of wind energy, amplified by
government funding of development of prototypes;
– Virtual absence of market driven forces and ‘local’ aspects such as
location, planning and permitting.
Further experimentation with wind energy
In the eighties, the international momentum for wind energy was high. In
various countries government support was strong while the wind turbine