Bridging the carbon neutrality gap in energy communities: social sciences and humanities meet energy studies
In the light of ambitious climate goals, the emerging forms of energy supply and consumption call for deep structural energy transitions and more sustainable energy practices. Technological approach to tackle global climate changes is just a part of whole. To ensure the diffusion of energy efficiency technologies, energy research needs to be complemented by a perspective of social sciences that analyses motivation, social acceptance, and decision-making structure based on traditions, values, habits, attitudes, and beliefs. There is an urgent need to shift from perceiving people as passive figures to whom policies and technologies can be applied to, to active figures taking part in energy transition. Project proposal is to develop a policy simulation tool for policy makers to study alternative business models for carbon neutral urban energy communities by considering different psychological and social behaviour aspects in small-scale cooperatively organized energy systems. System Dynamics models of complex systems help to solve complex problems. Developed single and multi-player games to study dynamic decision-making process will highlight the design trade-offs for community scale renewable energy systems and energy efficiency measures and determine how to maximize RES generation and reduction of energy consumption through consumer participation and to model these options simultaneously. Developed model will help to bridge the carbon neutrality gap via socio-technical transition.
PROJECT FUNDED BY:
Latvia’s state budget Fundamental and Applied Research Project
Project No. lzp-2020/1-0256
PROJECT DURATION:
1. January 2021 – 31. December 2023
PROJECT BUDGET:
300 000,00 EUR
SCIENTIFIC LEADER OF THE PROJECT:
Andra Blumberga
PUBLISHED:
28.12.2020.
