Joana Miguel Fernandes

IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research/Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa Corresponding Author, iomifernandes@gmail. com

Abstract

Of the available portfolio of renewable energy technologies, solar photovoltaic materials, mainly due to their flexibility pasterns both in form and function, present exceptional properties for the application in the built environment, specially integrated in urban structures. The potential for the development of innovative urban structures integrating photovoltaic materials, namely by triggering entrepreneurial behaviours in actors that are usually "passive" users of the technology is the aim of this work. Among others, design teams are addressed as “users as innovators”, effective sources of innovation, in order to increase the creation of design inspired innovative products. The term “users” should in this sense be understood broadly to include those actors that use the technology in their daily practice and not only true end-users or beneficiaries of the technology. Acknowledging the importance of competitions as vehicles for the promotion and dissemination of new technologies, a preliminary assessment of the potential of Portuguese users to develop new products was conducted using as a testing ground an international design competition. Results showed a very positive response from the Portuguese public, even if there has been little or no previous contact with this technology. Even if taken restrictively, a conclusion emerges indicating that there is clearly a potential for PV-based urban-scale product development in Portugal, sourced in users. This potential enhances the need to develop policies devoted to promote “users as innovators”, by following capacity building strategies that enable users to engage in new product development.

KEY WORDS: Innovation, Photovoltaics, Users as Innovators, Design Competitions

1. INTRODUCTION

In the built environment, the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) is a strategy within the philosophy of demand-side management and among RES, solar photovoltaic technology (PV) presents the unique potential to be merged with the urban environment, transforming cities in distributed green-electricity production facilities. PV materials present high flexibility patterns, both in form and function, for the application in urban structures, in general and in particular in buildings. Conventionally, the value of PV systems is estimated considering only the electricity production value. In an integrative solution the strategy passes through the integration of the PV systems as construction materials, embedded in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and Photovoltaic Non-Building Structures (PV-NBS). The economic advantages of these application steam not only from the possibility of displacing dedicated land resources to structures surfaces, but also from the use of PV panels as a construction material performing a given set of functions additional to the production of electricity. The optimal combination of physical and aesthetical integration of PV technology in urban structures is expected to maximise the overall value of the PV system, even if the resulting structure corresponds to a situation where the system is not strictly optimised for its energy output. The intent is that for each object designed there will be a balanced combination of form and function, which will deliver a high-value product. (Rodrigues, 2004) Additionally the social values that arise from these applications must also to be considered, as it

contributes to the overall market value of the structure (e. g. aesthetical value, environmental sustainability image) and to foster the potential to develop the levels of education and public awareness. PV-NBS integration in the in the urban space takes advantage of the architectural quality of the PV materials and is achieved taking into consideration the technological efficiency of the systems according to the designed product electrical requirements. A wide variety of concepts from urban street equipment, to sound barriers, shelters and kiosks can already be seen in some cities, both off-grid and grid-connected. Nevertheless, technology dissemination is needed, in particular among the different actors relevant in the BIPV and PV-NBS market and within the wide public, whose perception and knowledge is essential to promote new technologies and remove possible public related barriers. The successful deployment of PV integrated solutions largely depends on how solutions, materials and integration possibilities are perceived by the ones that can actually use these new materials in their work, as architects, designers and engineers. The adoption of this new technology and awareness of its characteristics as a construction material requires adequate dissemination and knowledge transfer between actors, to allow it’s effective appropriation. This adoption process, as any innovation adoption process, goes through an acceptance and afterwards implementation path, as extensively described by Rogers and his model diffusion of innovations. It is expected that after a first good impression and implementation process have occurred, the user will start to integrate this new solution into his work, facing the new technology as an available material in his conventional portfolio. These technology adoption users mainly act as passive users of a technology. Nevertheless, this passive attitude can change as the user acknowledges the innovation properties and starts to develop a will to work the technology and adapt it according to the perceived opportunities as a response to his needs. This appropriation of the innovation can be described as the evolution of passive users into active users, ultimately leading to a situation where users may be seen as the source of innovation. The concept of users as innovators is an emerging research field in the context of innovation systems, where focus is put in the needs and advantages of involving users in the innovation creation and development process, as privilege sources of practical information on market needs and gaps. A key issue in this approach to innovation models is how products may be transferred from users to industry. Entrepreneurship may be a way to this question.