Co-Producing Actionable Knowledge for Renewable Energy Systems

OVERVIEW: As organizations strive to meet 2030 climate targets, they confront “wicked” challenges characterized by competing social, economic, and environmental priorities. Success hinges on rapid and joint creation of actionable knowledge that practitioners and researchers can apply in real time. We report on a longitudinal, Ireland–Wales-funded micro-hydropower (MHP) project in which water-utility operators, heritage site staff, and a transdisciplinary team of academics developed, deployed, and iteratively refined a renewable energy system. Using a three-loop framework, we trace how simulation and prototyping generated Mode 1 disciplinary knowledge, while field adaptation and stakeholder demonstrations yielded Mode 2 practical application knowledge. Together, these modes lowered risk, accelerated adoption, and optimized operation. The study demonstrates how “intelligent failures” and live demonstrations can drive learning, building both technical robustness and social license. Managers can apply this framework to other sustainability initiatives by learning from early pilots, logging errors, and improving designs based on demonstrations. PRACTITIONER TAKEAWAYS View renewable system development and deployment as cyclical, with prototyping, installation, and demonstration serving as iterative learning loops. Integrate the rigor of renewable energy system development with operational realities early by stress-testing prototypes against the future site’s fixed constraints. Log and review every early-stage fault, treating fault data as intelligent errors to accelerate system design improvements.