Economic failures in heating service: case of Ukraine during the 1991–2015 period

Abstract

It is not sufficient to treat energy systems in a long term perspective as purely technocratic ones. Social actors, sociopolitical dynamics, co-evolution nature of society and technology should be also taken into account. Applying the framework of a sociotechnical and multi-level theory on transitions it is investigated whether a technological transition in heating service of Ukraine’s building sector is observed. It is shown that despite interacting dynamics at the regime and landscape levels heating sector of Ukraine can considered as being in stagnation. Succesful implementation of innovations requires radically new methodologies compared to currently applied in Ukrainian energy policy. Within the frameworks of ERAIHM project socio-technical approach was adapted for scenario development of heating system for the Ukrainian city of Bila Tserkva. The article proposes to combine exergy-based and sustainability methodologies as nich-cumulation process for development of new types of heating systems. Extending of the combined exergetic and sustainability approach to meso-level as standards, rules will accelerate transitons in heating service.