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Andrew Weatherall - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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social impacts of Community Renewable Energy projects findings from a woodfuel case study
Energy Policy, 2012Co-Authors: Jennifer Rogers, Eunice Simmons, Ian Convery, Andrew WeatherallAbstract:There is much current interest in the potential of Community-based Renewable Energy projects to contribute to transition towards low carbon Energy systems. As well as displacing fossil fuel consumption by increasing Renewable Energy generation, projects are expected to have a range of social impacts which may result in additional positive sustainability outcomes. These include potential to increase: acceptance of Renewable Energy developments; awareness of Renewable and sustainable Energy technologies and issues; uptake of low carbon technologies; and sustainable/pro-environmental behaviours. To date however, there has been little investigation of whether and how these impacts occur. This paper presents results from qualitative research investigating the social impacts of a Community woodfuel project as experienced by project participants and other local stakeholders. Findings show projects can raise awareness of Renewable Energy technologies and increase uptake of Renewables. Overall the case study project successfully changed the local social context for development of woodfuel heating, reducing risk for all involved in the future development of this sector, particularly in the immediate locality. There was some evidence of increased engagement with wider sustainability issues but this was limited to direct participants, suggesting local projects need to be supported by wider systemic change to maximise impacts.
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Public perceptions of opportunities for Community-based Renewable Energy projects
Energy Policy, 2008Co-Authors: Jennifer Rogers, Eunice Simmons, Ian Convery, Andrew WeatherallAbstract:It now widely acknowledged that the UK needs to increase Renewable Energy capacity and it has been claimed that Community-based Renewable Energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are more likely to be accepted by the public than top-down development of large-scale schemes and may bring additional benefits such as increased engagement with sustainable Energy issues. However, little research has investigated public expectations of how people would like to participate in such projects and why. The aim of this study was to explore one rural Community's response to a proposed sustainable Energy project. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews provided quantitative and qualitative data. There was widespread support for local generation and use of Renewable Energy, with respondents expecting benefits from a project in terms of increased Community spirit and conservation of natural resources. However, desire for active involvement was lower and residents viewed themselves participating as consultees, rather than project leaders. We suggest Community Renewable Energy projects are likely to gain public acceptance but are unlikely to become widespread without greater institutional support.
Jennifer Rogers - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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social impacts of Community Renewable Energy projects findings from a woodfuel case study
Energy Policy, 2012Co-Authors: Jennifer Rogers, Eunice Simmons, Ian Convery, Andrew WeatherallAbstract:There is much current interest in the potential of Community-based Renewable Energy projects to contribute to transition towards low carbon Energy systems. As well as displacing fossil fuel consumption by increasing Renewable Energy generation, projects are expected to have a range of social impacts which may result in additional positive sustainability outcomes. These include potential to increase: acceptance of Renewable Energy developments; awareness of Renewable and sustainable Energy technologies and issues; uptake of low carbon technologies; and sustainable/pro-environmental behaviours. To date however, there has been little investigation of whether and how these impacts occur. This paper presents results from qualitative research investigating the social impacts of a Community woodfuel project as experienced by project participants and other local stakeholders. Findings show projects can raise awareness of Renewable Energy technologies and increase uptake of Renewables. Overall the case study project successfully changed the local social context for development of woodfuel heating, reducing risk for all involved in the future development of this sector, particularly in the immediate locality. There was some evidence of increased engagement with wider sustainability issues but this was limited to direct participants, suggesting local projects need to be supported by wider systemic change to maximise impacts.
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Public perceptions of opportunities for Community-based Renewable Energy projects
Energy Policy, 2008Co-Authors: Jennifer Rogers, Eunice Simmons, Ian Convery, Andrew WeatherallAbstract:It now widely acknowledged that the UK needs to increase Renewable Energy capacity and it has been claimed that Community-based Renewable Energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are more likely to be accepted by the public than top-down development of large-scale schemes and may bring additional benefits such as increased engagement with sustainable Energy issues. However, little research has investigated public expectations of how people would like to participate in such projects and why. The aim of this study was to explore one rural Community's response to a proposed sustainable Energy project. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews provided quantitative and qualitative data. There was widespread support for local generation and use of Renewable Energy, with respondents expecting benefits from a project in terms of increased Community spirit and conservation of natural resources. However, desire for active involvement was lower and residents viewed themselves participating as consultees, rather than project leaders. We suggest Community Renewable Energy projects are likely to gain public acceptance but are unlikely to become widespread without greater institutional support.
Diana Süsser - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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‘Renewables? Yes, please!’: perceptions and assessment of Community transition induced by Renewable-Energy projects in North Frisia
Sustainability Science, 2017Co-Authors: Diana Süsser, Andreas KannenAbstract:A Renewable-Energy transition evokes the question ‘Renewables? Yes, please!’ or ‘Renewables? No, thanks!’ to people, communities and regions, because it initiates a physical and social transition to places and communities. Although ‘Community Renewable Energy’ emerged as a grassroots-based innovation and is thus of increasing interest to the public and politicians, actual interwoven Community benefits and challenges of Renewable-Energy projects are not well understood yet. Recent studies mainly consider potential Community benefits and not experienced benefits and hardly address challenges which affected communities face. To address this research gap, we empirically investigated how people perceive Community-based Renewables and assess the change in the social fabric of communities, the so named ‘Community transition’ resulting as outcome of local Energy transition. We explored trade-offs between benefits and challenges by conducting a regional literature analysis, two sets of interviews in municipalities of North Frisia (Germany) and a household survey in one of them. Our results lead to two important insights: First, Community Renewables provide interwoven and offsetting physical, environmental, social, economic, planning and political benefits and challenges for communities. Second, a local participatory process and a fair distribution of revenues are essential for the success of Community benefits, holding the potential for a sustainable development in rural areas. Thus, multifaceted and interlinked local benefits but also challenges of local Energy transition need to be addressed more by developers and political decision-makers in order to enable and retain positive, sustainable outcomes of Community Renewable-Energy projects.
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Harvesting Energy: Place and local entrepreneurship in Community-based Renewable Energy transition
Energy Policy, 2017Co-Authors: Diana Süsser, Martin Döring, Beate M.w. RatterAbstract:Transition towards a Renewable Energy supply initiates a physical (re)shaping of places and a social transformation of communities into Renewable Energy communities. Although socio-cultural challenges of Energy transition have been recognised (Field, 2015; IPCC, 2011; Teske et al., 2015), understandings about socio-geographic places of Energy transition and their underlying social processes and structures are insufficiently studied and often remain underestimated. To close this gap, we theoretically and empirically analysed the multifaceted interplay between place, local entrepreneurship and ‘Community Renewable Energy’. Our study is based on an analysis of regional documents and policy reports, and on qualitative interviews undertaken with inhabitants in the case-study municipality of Reußenköge (Germany). Our findings reveal two important aspects: Firstly, people's individual and shared place meanings which materialised in social, physical, historical and climate-related place-attachments and meanings of contested and innovative place are important ingredients bearing an impact on processes of adopting or rejecting Renewables. Secondly, differentiated characteristics of entrepreneurs, namely grounded, collaborative, innovative, change-making, economic, communicating, networking and political aspects, appeared to be relevant for the acceptance and support in Community-based Renewable Energy projects. Our findings reveal that Energy policies, funding schemes and administrative structures should recognise local socio-geographic important elements in the context of a sustained and decentralised Energy transition.
Nina Hampl - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Community financing of Renewable Energy projects in austria and switzerland profiles of potential investors
Energy Policy, 2018Co-Authors: Anna Ebers Broughel, Nina HamplAbstract:Abstract Small-scale investors are gaining recognition as a valuable source of private funding necessary for a successful Energy transition. Still, there is limited knowledge about the characteristics of potential investors, especially in Community Renewable Energy projects. This study intends to address this gap and investigates the impact of socio-demographic and socio-psychological characteristics on individuals’ willingness to invest in Community Renewable Energy projects. Our investigation is based on two large-scale representative surveys of 2260 respondents in Austria and Switzerland. The majority of respondents would be willing to invest 1000 to 10,000 CHF/EUR in such a project, with higher amounts in the Swiss sample. Potential investors in Austria tend to be male homeowners with higher incomes, while Swiss investors are more educated. Generally, positive attitudes and beliefs related to Renewable Energy have a significant impact on investment intention. The largest group of potential investors in both countries can be described as ‘urban wind Energy enthusiasts’, who show high acceptance of wind Energy installations near their communities. Surprisingly, a significant segment of potential investors is skeptical of a nearby wind installation. Study results can be used by decision-makers to tailor appropriate policy measures and by project developers for communication of the project aims and benefits.
Thomas Bauwens - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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analyzing the determinants of the size of investments by Community Renewable Energy members findings and policy implications from flanders
Energy Policy, 2019Co-Authors: Thomas BauwensAbstract:Abstract Community Renewable Energy initiatives are increasingly recognized as important actors to trigger citizen investments in Renewable Energy facilities. Little is known, however, about the factors that determine the size of financial investments made by Community Renewable Energy members. To address this gap, this paper presents a multivariate econometric analysis of the economic, social, environmental and institutional determinants of the size of investments in Community Renewable Energy. It relies on a large-scale survey of 4061 members of two Renewable Energy cooperatives located in Flanders, in the northern part of Belgium. Results show that the return on investment is the most important determinant for members of large communities of interest, while environmental, social and other non-economic drivers tend to dominate financial motives for members of smaller communities of place. The presence of other cooperative members in close social networks plays a particularly important role in the latter kind of communities, highlighting the strength of social interactions as a driver for investments. These results can help policy-makers to design more adapted policy measures for fostering financial investments at the Community level, and project developers to tailor segmented communication strategies about the goals and benefits of projects.
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explaining the diversity of motivations behind Community Renewable Energy
Social Science Research Network, 2016Co-Authors: Thomas BauwensAbstract:Community-based Renewable Energy initiatives may be important actors in the transition toward low-carbon Energy systems. In turn, stimulating investments in Renewable Energy production at the Community level requires a better understanding of investors’ motives. This paper aims to study the heterogeneity of motivations that drive individuals to participate in Community Renewable Energy projects and the underlying explanatory factors behind this, as well as the implications for their level of engagement in initiatives. Based on quantitative data from an original survey conducted with two Renewable Energy cooperatives in Flanders, the statistical analysis shows that cooperative members should not be considered as one homogeneous group. Several categories of members with different motives and levels of engagement can be distinguished. This heterogeneity is explained by contrasts in terms of institutional settings, spatial patterns and attitudes to the diffusion of institutional innovations. Regarding policy implications, the findings suggest that this heterogeneity should be taken into account in designing more effective supporting policies to stimulate investments at the Community level. The activation of social norms is also shown to be a promising mechanism for triggering investment decisions, although the implications of its interplay with economic incentives should be further explored.