Beyond Nimbyism: a multidisciplinary investigation of public engagement with renewable technologies

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Wind Energy)
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts)
Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy)
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Geography and Environmental Studies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Psychology)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Education)

Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour)

Prof P Devine-Wright
Geography
University of Exeter

Standard

ESRC

01 December 2005

31 May 2006

6 months

£42,019

No relevance to Underpinning Sectors

South West

ESRC Energy

Prof P Devine-Wright, Geography, University of Exeter

Professor J Barnett, Psychology, University of Bath
Dr K Burningham, Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey
Professor Evans, School of the Built & Natural Environment, Northumbria University
Professor D G Infield, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
Professor GP Walker, Geography, Lancaster University
Professor A Wheatley, Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University

Objectives not supplied

This research project, involving five UK universities (De Montfort, Lancaster, Loughborough, Northumbria and Surrey) and a team of 8 investigators led by Dr. Patrick Devine-Wright, aims to increase understanding of public responses to renewable energy technologies, the local experience of resistance and consent and ways in which public engagement is constructed and practised in the UK. Specific research tasks include: a literature review of theory and practice in public engagement, NIMBYism and public perceptions of renewable energy technologies; a qualitative study of representations of the public in relation to renewable technologies, investigating how such representations may have shaped technological design pathways, involving interviews with a range of stakeholders; the production of an integrated framework for understanding public engagement and perceptions that encompasses technical and social science; testing this framework in a series of multi-method case studies, involving different renewable energy technologies; to refine the framework and disseminate to research users. In terms of outcomes, the project aims to improve our understanding of processes of public engagement with renewable energy development. It also aims to influence practice, by using the framework to suggest how a constructive dialogue can be better facilitated between publics and other stakeholders.

29/10/09