Patent on sustainable energy

If we privation to scope the clime goals acceptable for 2030 and 2050, we are going to person to bash our utmost to proceed processing sustainable vigor technologies. In bid to marque due authorities policy, it is important whether a exertion builds chiefly connected earlier exertion oregon depends connected technological research. This is the contention of doctoral campaigner Peter Persoon.

Hundreds of thousands of patents relating to energy technology are registered with the European Patent Office. By referring successful crook to different patents, each of these documents forms portion of a immense technological cognition network, successful immoderate mode comparable to world publications wrong a specialty. "Not each exertion is patented and galore patents volition ne'er beryllium used," explains Peter Persoon. "But the large happening is that each patent offers a elaborate statement and has been enactment done a prime check."

And truthful patents tin shed airy connected the cognition operation underpinning sustainable vigor technologies specified arsenic wind turbines and solar cells, Persoon points out. For his doctoral studies astatine Technology, Innovation & Society (TIS), the physicist delved into this upland of patents. "What does a exertion similar this request successful bid to beryllium taken further? What benignant of parties are progressive successful this development, and wherever tin they beryllium found?"

Database

Not that helium has work each these documents from screen to cover. "That's would beryllium impossible, of people it would, adjacent without considering the readability of the content. But our department, TIS, has a integer database of patents. Each patent has been classified by the patent bureau and is linked to different patents via citations. The database is searchable and truthful with the close algorithms you tin propulsion retired applicable statistics."

Looking astatine the grade to which exertion depends connected caller world insights, you'll notice, says Persoon, that the dependency of sustainable vigor exertion is overmuch higher than that of fossil vigor technology. In the second case, advancement is driven chiefly by method improvement wrong the industry. "If we privation to stimulate the improvement of sustainable technology, the authorities indispensable instrumentality this quality into account."

Although it was a astute determination by the Netherlands to usage the Top Sectors to absorption connected those sectors successful which we already excel, wherever the proviso of grants is concerned, helium believes, it is inactive excessively overmuch a lawsuit of 1 size fits all. "Which financing instruments are disposable depends connected however acold a exertion has already been developed; the Technology Readiness Level oregon TRL, arsenic it is called. But some upwind turbines and star cells person a precocious TRL—both technologies are already beauteous mature. Nonetheless, it is besides evident that world probe inactive has a beardown manus successful improving star cells, whereas the caller generations of upwind turbine, by contrast, physique connected method developments successful industry. So successful this respect, upwind vigor much intimately resembles fossil vigor exertion and for assistance purposes what you should beryllium doing, successful fact, is classing star cells arsenic a exertion with a little TRL."

Distinguish

It would truthful beryllium advisable, believes the doctoral candidate, to separate not lone by sector, but besides by exertion erstwhile applying assistance policy. "At present, wherever a exertion with a little TRL is concerned, the enactment is routinely referred to NWO assistance schemes, and wherever higher TRL exertion is concerned, to assorted different schemes not geared to world research, similar DEI+." This is little than perfect for star compartment technology, a tract whose links with world institutions are truthful fruitful."

Another of his probe findings is that technologies are much 'mobile' erstwhile they beryllium connected world cognition alternatively than technological progress. To enactment it simply, it is easier to commencement up a country's star compartment manufacture than to physique upwind energy from scratch. "For the second you truly bash request an ecosystem of sorts astatine a peculiar location, whereas the star compartment tract lends itself much to swapping cognition with different countries. This is thing else, I believe, that policymakers request to instrumentality into account."

Nobel Prize

To date, Persoon's vocation has progressed successful thing of a zigzag, to usage his ain words. After a broad-ranging bachelor's astatine University College successful Utrecht, helium did a specializer probe master's successful theoretical physics; portion supervised by Nobel Prize victor Gerard 't Hooft helium wrote his master's thesis connected the mentation of quantum physics. He past spent 2 years arsenic a trainee astatine TNO, but helium returned to subject to commencement his doctoral survey astatine TU/e, arsenic described here.

After gaining his Ph.D. helium volition proceed successful academia arsenic a postdoc astatine Oxford University. "In the end, what I bask astir is pottering astir gathering models arsenic good arsenic reasoning successful a ceremonial mode astir however systems work. I emotion being capable to bash these 2 precise antithetic things. In Oxford I'll astir apt beryllium moving again with patent data."

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