International knowledge spillovers in energy technologies

This study examines the impact of barriers to knowledge diffusion in energy technologies in 29 countries from 1990 to 2015, distinguishing between efficient fossil-based generation and mature renewable options, namely wind and solar. We show that knowledge flows are higher in countries with similar technological profiles, particularly for mature renewables. The study finds that international knowledge spillovers have increased in intensity for wind and solar, while the opposite is true for fossil-based technologies. That means that foreign knowledge has increasingly informed domestic investors and points to the key role that knowledge flows from abroad had in promoting innovation in low-carbon technology options. Integrated assessment models should account for the role international knowledge spillovers play in the generation of new knowledge and in contributing to rapid decrease in costs. •Knowledge flows play an important role in low-carbon innovation.•Knowledge flow in fossil-based generation and mature renewables is hampered by distance and language, not trade barriers.•International knowledge flows are comparatively higher in mature renewables than in fossil-based.•International knowledge spillovers in wind and solar intensify over time.•Ignoring international knowledge flow in IAMs underestimates a country's innovation potential.