This thesis investigates how feedback effects shape energy transitions and their governance, urging policymakers and researchers to consider these complex, dynamic mechanisms. Through five interconnected chapters, it explores feedback loops in different sectors, scales, and geographies, progressing toward the central question: What are the feedback effects that affect energy transitions and their governance? The research begins by identifying seven socio-technical interdependency types in Dutch urban infrastructures—such as functional, market, and policy interdependencies—highlighting their influence on sustainability efforts. It then examines the global debate around natural gas as a transition fuel, showing how feedback effects may divert long-term investments away from renewables without policy safeguards. Further, it studies district heating systems in Rotterdam through participative model-building workshops, revealing how local socio-technical feedbacks can slow transitions when policies focus too narrowly on technology. Zooming out, the thesis explores the evolution of district heating policies across Europe since the 1973 oil crisis, mapping how feedback loops between policy and energy systems evolve over time. Ultimately, the research emphasizes the need for reflexive, adaptive governance that integrates qualitative system dynamics modeling to understand feedback effects, unintended consequences, and co-evolution in energy transitions across multiple scales.
Cem Gürsan was born in Izmir Turkey in 1987. In 2010, Cem obtained a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Engineering from the dual diploma program led by Binghamton University, USA, and Bogazici University, Turkey. In 2014, Cem received his master’s degree in business administration at Galatasaray University with Cum Laude. He worked as a project manager at Klimak Ltd., a mechanical engineering company that specializes in energy projects involving heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. His passion and interest in energy systems led him to the Master of Science in Business Analysis and Simulation Modeling program at Radboud University, where he graduated in 2019 with cum laude. Between 2020 and 2024, he worked on the INSpECT research project. Since 2024 August, he has been working as a post-doctoral researcher at Radboud University to develop a quantitative model for low-carbon lifestyles. For his work, Cem uses modeling approaches to explore the complexity caused by interdependencies between energy systems to conclude potential energy pathways toward a sustainable future.