This research identifies opportunities to accelerate the SET towards a 100% RE based on Aruba. This thesis is structured in three parts: 1) a literature review to assess the main relevant theories. 2) A conceptual framework combining the Strategic Niche Management and the Multi-level Perspective is developed to analyse and compare case studies of RE technologies (Solar PV Rooftops, Electric Vehicle and Wind Turbines), including the external factors enabling or constraining this SET. 3) Finally, a roadmap is provided to accelerate the SET on the island of Aruba. Data collection is through literature review, desk research and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the actors’ group (government, market and society).

The main research question: What is constraining the SET on the island of Aruba, and how can this be accelerated?
To accelerate the SET: at the regime level, the government should introduce an independent entity and an energy policy where the network-related is aligned to support the targets and expectations. At the niche level, utility managers should implement energy storage and intelligent infrastructure to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and enable demand-side management to create more room for RE penetration. At the landscape level, raising awareness, organise town hall meetings with pilot projects and demonstrations is necessary for society. Due to the limited space and land on the island, environmental impact assessments are required to mitigate the impact during the development process and avoid social resistance.
The education system should be upgraded to create new experiences, knowledge and information for local society. Hence, introducing a technical university is required but generally to change the teaching practice locally. The government’s responsibility is to stimulate more research, create more RE demonstrations, and create funds.
The research conducted by the universities, local and international, could ultimately improve regulatory measures. Utility and RE companies’ managers should consider that new business models will be necessary to survive in the new RE business environment. Other RET should also be explored, primarily because the current RET outcomes are unknown. The SET can be accelerated towards a 100% RE-based island by adopting these measures.

In 2019 over 670000 new washing machines(WMs) were purchased in the Netherlands (Statista, 2020). With a WM ownershiprate of 98%, the Dutch people have one of the highest WM ownership percentagesin the world (Laitala et al., 2018). In the traditional business model (BM)these WMs will be used, discarded and recycled. In order to increase sales someWMs are even designed with a planned obsolescence. This ‘take-make-dispose’economy is reaching its limits and caused signiﰇficant resource losses (EMF, 2013). The Circular Economy (CE)suggests that the economic growth can be decoupled from the use of naturalresources.  A product-service system(PSS) is perceived as a pioneering business model (BM) shifting the traditionalownership-based model towards a CE (Spring and Arauja, 2017; de Pádua Pieroniet al., 2018; Yang et al., 2018). In this BM the provider remains the owner ofthe product in return for access to the product and additional services(Tukker, 2004). This offers the possibility to decrease resource and materialconsumption, improve energy efficiency during usage and extend the productslifespan (Bocken et al., 2014; Mont, 2008). Some concerns have been expressedon the pitfalls of a PSS. For example, high investments for the provider andcarelessness by the customer. A PSS does not automatically lead to a reducedenvironmental impact. There are three PSS archetypes: product-oriented,user-oriented and result-oriented (Tukker, 2004). Each archetype creates adifferent environmental potential. The literature shows that in a linear BM theuser phase has the largest environmental impact in the life cycle of a WM. Itis unknown if this also applies to a product lease PSS BM. It is assumed thatin a product lease BM more logistic steps are performed to realise the PSS.  A product-service system (PSS) is perceivedas a pioneering business model (BM) shifting the traditional ownership-basedmodel towards a CE (Spring and Arauja, 2017; de Pádua Pieroni et al., 2018;Yang et al., 2018). In this BM the provider remains the owner of the product inreturn for access to the product and additional services (Tukker, 2004). This offersthe possibility to the products lifespan (Bocken et al., 2014; Mont, 2008). Someconcerns have been expressed on the pitfalls of a PSS. For example, highinvestments for the provider and carelessness by the customer. A PSS does notautomatically lead to a reduced environmental impact. There are three PSSarchetypes: product-oriented, user-oriented and result-oriented (Tukker, 2004).Each archetype creates a different environmental potential. The literatureshows that in a linear BM the user phase has the largest environmental impactin the life cycle of a WM. It is unknown if this also applies to a productlease PSS BM. It is assumed that in a product lease BM more logistic steps areperformed to realise the PSS. A product-service system (PSS) is perceived as apioneering business model (BM) shifting the traditional ownership-based modeltowards a CE (Spring and Arauja, 2017; de Pádua Pieroni et al., 2018; Yang etal., 2018). In this BM the provider remains the owner of the product in return foraccess to the product and additional services (Tukker, 2004). This offers thepossibility to the products lifespan (Bocken et al., 2014; Mont, 2008). Someconcerns have been expressed on the pitfalls of a PSS. For example, highinvestments for the provider and carelessness by the customer. A PSS does notautomatically lead to a reduced environmental impact. There are three PSSarchetypes: product-oriented, user-oriented and result-oriented (Tukker, 2004).Each archetype creates a different environmental potential. The literatureshows that in a linear BM the user phase has the largest environmental impactin the life cycle of a WM. It is unknown if this also applies to a productlease PSS BM. It is assumed that in a product lease BM more logistic steps areperformed to realise the PSS.  Coolblueis an online webshop that operates in consumer electronics and appliances.Since 2018 they offer an product lease subscription where a WM can be leasedagainst a fixed fee. Coolblue is curious to know what the environmental impactof their product lease BM is in comparison to the traditional linear BM and howthey can improve upon this impact. Therefore this thesis aims to answer the followingresearch question: How can Coolblue improve the environmental impact of theircurrent and future washing machine product-service system?