Synergistic impact of renewable energy technology, governance, digitalisation, and human capital on sustainable development and load capacity factor in Germany's energy landscape

IF 12.5 1区社会学 Q1 SOCIAL ISSUES

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-06-20 DOI:10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103002

Seyi Saint Akadiri , Oktay Ozkan , Dervis Kirikkaleli

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The global push toward sustainable energy systems has prompted advanced economies to reevaluate the interplay between technological innovation, governance, digital transformation, and human capital in achieving environmental sustainability. However, empirical evidence capturing how these components jointly influence sustainable development and the load capacity factor remains limited, particularly within highly industrialised nations. This study addresses this gap by examining the synergistic effects of renewable energy technology, governance, digitalisation, and human capital on Germany's sustainable development and load capacity factor. Annual data spanning 2000–2022 are transformed into quarterly series using the quadratic sum approach to mitigate sample size bias. The Kernel-based Quantile Regression (KRQR) method is employed to uncover distributional heterogeneities and nonlinearities across different quantiles of sustainability performance. The findings reveal that the impacts of renewable energy technology, governance, digitalisation, and human capital are asymmetric and quantile-dependent, with stronger and more consistent effects at higher levels of sustainability. Robustness checks using KRQR average marginal effects further confirm these patterns. The study concludes with actionable policy recommendations for Germany and other advanced economies, advocating for integrated investment in technological infrastructure, institutional quality, and workforce development to drive green transformation and ecological resilience.

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可再生能源技术、治理、数字化和人力资本对德国能源格局中可持续发展和负荷能力因素的协同影响

全球对可持续能源系统的推动促使发达经济体重新评估技术创新、治理、数字化转型和人力资本在实现环境可持续性方面的相互作用。然而，特别是在高度工业化国家，掌握这些因素如何共同影响可持续发展和负荷能力因素的经验证据仍然有限。本研究通过研究可再生能源技术、治理、数字化和人力资本对德国可持续发展和负荷能力因素的协同效应，解决了这一差距。使用二次求和方法将2000-2022年的年度数据转换为季度序列，以减轻样本量偏差。采用基于核的分位数回归（KRQR）方法揭示了可持续发展绩效在不同分位数之间的分布异质性和非线性。研究结果表明，可再生能源技术、治理、数字化和人力资本的影响是不对称和分位数依赖的，在更高的可持续性水平上，其影响更强、更一致。使用KRQR平均边际效应的稳健性检查进一步证实了这些模式。该研究最后为德国和其他发达经济体提出了可行的政策建议，倡导在技术基础设施、制度质量和劳动力发展方面进行综合投资，以推动绿色转型和生态复原力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Technology in Society Multiple-

CiteScore

17.90

自引率

14.10%

发文量

316

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Technology in Society is a global journal dedicated to fostering discourse at the crossroads of technological change and the social, economic, business, and philosophical transformation of our world. The journal aims to provide scholarly contributions that empower decision-makers to thoughtfully and intentionally navigate the decisions shaping this dynamic landscape. A common thread across these fields is the role of technology in society, influencing economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Scholarly work in Technology in Society delves into the social forces shaping technological decisions and the societal choices regarding technology use. This encompasses scholarly and theoretical approaches (history and philosophy of science and technology, technology forecasting, economic growth, and policy, ethics), applied approaches (business innovation, technology management, legal and engineering), and developmental perspectives (technology transfer, technology assessment, and economic development). Detailed information about the journal's aims and scope on specific topics can be found in Technology in Society Briefings, accessible via our Special Issues and Article Collections.