| Popis: |
Sustainability transition emerges in various types of community-scale projects. Indonesia has been actively implementing solar water pumping systems (SWPS) since 1982. However, for almost four decades, SWPS, as a niche innovation, have not achieved significant adoption of solar technology in the water utility sector. This study aimed to assess local governance aspects of SWPS in the context of sustainability transition from two perspectives: internal niche management and local actors. We assessed nine SWPS projects in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia, using structured interviews that were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. The results showed that the discontinuation of support made SWPS unsustainable, operating only for an average of 4 years. Crucial operational factors included electrical damage, insufficient training, and lack of funds for damage repair. The iterative process of learning, network building, and vision did not eventuate. SWPS have direct benefit on the water supply; however, technological performance feedback related to the karst environment was insufficiently addressed and the network of actors did not expand to higher levels of local government. SWPS were viewed as an unreliable technology; hence, there was no vision for applying SWPS as a water utility. Solar photovoltaic pumps need strong support to compete with diesel and electrical water utility pumps. To achieve sustainability transition, it is imperative to generate vision, promote policy change, and build committed networks within local government rather than simply replicate the number of project installations. |
