The objective of this project is to investigate energy cultures across selected academic and non-academic ENSYSTRA partners. The project will explore the drivers and barriers of people’s acceptance towards energy systems by applying a techno-anthropological research approach. The work will be nested in investigating socio-technical practices, including the connections between disciplinary technical thinking or the production and use of different models, as well as the cultural, political and social elements that result in different scenarios of agent behaviour. This project will map those differences, including the controversies that may be discussed to identify similarities and inform new frameworks for cooperation, collaboration and consensus-building. It is hoped that this will expose drivers for emergent phenomena, assist the development of acceptance models for renewables and identify issues of resistance. The outcome will further shape the development of a framework for practical solutions in consideration of social relations and the engagement of its users.
Planned secondments: Lyse (Norway), IZT (Germany), University of Stavanger (Norway).
Lead supervisor(s): Professor mso Kathrin Otrel-Cass.