The roles of users in shaping transitions to new energy systems

Current government information policies and market-based instruments aimed at influencing the energy choices of consumers\u3cbr/\u3eoften ignore the fact that consumer behaviour is not fully reducible to individuals making rational conscious decisions all the\u3cbr/\u3etime. The decisions of consumers are largely configured by shared routines embedded in socio-technical systems. To achieve\u3cbr/\u3ea transition towards a decarbonized and energy-efficient system, an approach that goes beyond individual consumer choice\u3cbr/\u3eand puts shared routines and system change at its centre is needed. Here, adopting a transitions perspective, we argue that\u3cbr/\u3econsumers should be reconceptualized as users who are important stakeholders in the innovation process and are shaping new\u3cbr/\u3eroutines and enacting system change. We review the role of users in shifts to [Au:OK?] new decarbonized and energy-efficient\u3cbr/\u3esystems and provide a typology of user roles