Ruggiero Salvatore, Varho Vilja, Rikkonen Pasi

Small-scale distributed energy generation is expected to play an important role in helping Finland increase its energy self-sufficiency but the overall strategy to date for promoting distributed energy remains unclear; this article presents the results of a questionnaire directed at a panel of 26 experts from the distributed energy value chain and 15 semi-structured interviews with industry and non-industry representatives ; the results show that a shift to a prosperous future for distributed energy is possible if permit procedures, ease of grid connection, and taxation laws are improved in the electricity sector and new business concepts are introduced in the heat sector ;  in contrast to other European countries, the transition in Finland is expected to take place through a market-based approach favoring investment-focused measures ; the incentive-based schemes alone, whatever they may be, will be insufficient to create significant growth in Finland without institutional change, removal of barriers, and the engagement of key actors.