Workshop: “From Innovation to Acceptance: Challenges and Potentials of a Sustainable Energy Transition”

organized by Dr. Maria Rosaria Di Nucci and Bettina Tacke (Freie Universität Berlin)

Dear participants,

Thank you for choosing our workshop! Please find below our program for our live session on October 21, 4-6:15 pm (CEST UTC+2) :

4:00 – 4:10           Welcome Note

4:10 – 4:15           Interactive Intervention

4:15- 4:30           Key Note Maj-Britt Quitzau, Aalborg University (AAU), Denmark: Energies for change – aligning stakeholders towards sustainable energy transitions

4:30 – 4:40           Questions & Answers

4:40 – 4:50           Sven Wüstenhagen, Fraunhofer IMWS; Germany: „Findings from a Project „re-produktive Stadt” – Innovation and Acceptance in Field of Sustainable Energy Transition in Polycentric Cities “

4:50 – 5:00           Sabine Bossert, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany: Co-Creation – Opportunities, Methods and Challenges within the process of energy transition at Forschungszentrum Jülich

5:00 – 5:10           Questions & Answers

5:10 – 5:20           Jens Clausen, Borderstep Institut für Nachhaltigkeit gGmbH, Germany: Governance of rapid socio-technical transitions in the energy sector – a case study based contribution to transformation research.

5:20 – 5:30          Rosaria Di Nucci, Michael Krug, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany: Community energy and local participation in energy projects – A means to achieve acceptability?

5:30 – 5:40           Questions & Answers

5:40 – 5:45          Interactive Intervention

5:45 – 6:00          Key Note Alessandro Luè, Politecnico di Milano, Italy: Challenges and opportunities of raising social acceptance to accelerate the energy transition process

6:00 – 6:15           Questions & Answers & Wrap up Interactive Session 2

Workshop Abstract

There is a broad consensus that a significant reduction of GHG emissions is necessary in order to limit the effects of climate change. This reduction of GHG emissions requires a shift of the current energy system, which largely relies on fossil fuels, towards a system based on sustainable energy sources. For this purpose, ambitious targets were set by governments all over the world to increase the total share of renewable energy. The shift to a sustainable energy system is closely linked to the diffusion of innovations. This process has multiple dimensions – socio-political, community-, and market-based – that must be considered holistically. Research shows the growing role of social acceptance and its potential as a constraining factor. Therefore, the social dimension has become equally as important as technological aspects for a successful sustainable energy transition. The diffusion and acceptance process of sustainable energy supplies – ranging from wind energy and solar power to newer concepts like smart grids, all-electric solutions, or power-to-heat – have very different histories and face different challenges. However, similarities and common issues can be scrutinized, and important lessons can be drawn. Participation and capacity building have been identified as key acceptance factors.

Three important dimensions will be dealt with in the workshop: user interaction with new technologies (e.g. smart grids, energy management), information and involvement strategies of stakeholders as well as the concept of ‘energy democracy’. Social innovations like citizens’ energy projects provide greater local control over and acceptance of renewable energy generation infrastructure. This workshop aims to bring together key research findings from the acceptance and social science research on various energy systems and discusses potential solutions that arise from analyzing these similarities. We will examine best practices, identify obstacles and drivers, and finally analyze the conditions for a successful implementation.

• Which participation strategies and user-technology interactions have enabled a successful implementation of renewable energies?

• What are the key factors of acceptance for sustainable energy systems?

• How are social innovations linked with the acceptance process of sustainable energy systems?

• Which social innovations can help to increase acceptance of renewable energy supply systems and energy reduction measures?

• Which sustainable energy sectors hold a potential for democratization, and how can we ignite this potential? 

Click here for an overview of all pre-recorded presentations for this workshop.