Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PEARLS (PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT ARENAS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY LANDSCAPES)
Berichtszeitraum: 2018-07-01 bis 2020-06-30
- What is the issue being addressed?
The goal of the Energy Challenge is to reinforce public engagement in support of renewable energies. Renewable energy and energy behaviour are the two points of energy policy that underpin the Social Science approach to bringing change to the energy model. The European Union’s commitment to a low-carbon economy turns the spotlight on renewable energy landscapes as many of these are large-scale projects on undeveloped land and so produce a shift in the traditional relationship between people and their landscapes. In sharp contrast to some of the analysed cases in Central and Northern Europe, where large numbers of people oppose renewable energy landscapes, in Southern European countries there is widespread acceptance of renewable energy landscapes. Recognition of this divergence to showcase the value of citizens’ acceptance of these landscapes is at the root of the “Planning and Engagement Arenas for Renewable Energy LandscapeS PEARLS Project”.
- Why is it important for society?
The aim of the PEARLS Project is to provide an over-arching approach to the implementation of renewable energy landscapes and to give prominence to the population’s role in promoting renewable energies through formulae for public participation in spatial planning and as actors in social innovation. For this, many concepts are considered: renewable energy landscapes; public participation; a sense of place; place attachment; cultural and regional differences and collective aspirations. All these factors put society’s issues and/or concerns at the top of the list of priorities and support the reformulation of the current energy system as a more citizen-oriented system.
PEARLS’ premise is that renewable energy implementation must overcome current obstacles to change in energy consumption models. So, an analysis of the relationships between people and their acceptance of renewable energy landscapes is essential to cement people’s commitment to contributing to the Pan-European Energy Challenge.
- What are the overall objectives?
PEARLS’ main objective is to contribute to the acceptance of renewable energy landscapes through the formulation of more open, participative and sustainable energy policies. To achieve this goal, the project enhances the development of researchers’ and technical personnel’s research and innovation capacities and/or abilities through staff exchange and collaborative research that combines the social and technological aspects of the energy challenge. PEARLS is designed as a Southern European and Israeli instrument for the transfer of renewable energy landscape development and management good practice to the rest of the world.
The consolidated framework of international agreements on planning and renewable energies and EU reports will be used as the basis for an analysis of policy and spatial planning. The goal is to give a boost to the social dimension of renewable energy landscapes by implementing spatial planning and social innovation-based methodological and analytical strategies. The transfer of knowledge to citizens by scientific institutions and companies is a major objective of the social science focus.
The goal of the Energy Challenge is to reinforce public engagement in support of renewable energies. Renewable energy and energy behaviour are the two points of energy policy that underpin the Social Science approach to bringing change to the energy model. The European Union’s commitment to a low-carbon economy turns the spotlight on renewable energy landscapes as many of these are large-scale projects on undeveloped land and so produce a shift in the traditional relationship between people and their landscapes. In sharp contrast to some of the analysed cases in Central and Northern Europe, where large numbers of people oppose renewable energy landscapes, in Southern European countries there is widespread acceptance of renewable energy landscapes. Recognition of this divergence to showcase the value of citizens’ acceptance of these landscapes is at the root of the “Planning and Engagement Arenas for Renewable Energy LandscapeS PEARLS Project”.
- Why is it important for society?
The aim of the PEARLS Project is to provide an over-arching approach to the implementation of renewable energy landscapes and to give prominence to the population’s role in promoting renewable energies through formulae for public participation in spatial planning and as actors in social innovation. For this, many concepts are considered: renewable energy landscapes; public participation; a sense of place; place attachment; cultural and regional differences and collective aspirations. All these factors put society’s issues and/or concerns at the top of the list of priorities and support the reformulation of the current energy system as a more citizen-oriented system.
PEARLS’ premise is that renewable energy implementation must overcome current obstacles to change in energy consumption models. So, an analysis of the relationships between people and their acceptance of renewable energy landscapes is essential to cement people’s commitment to contributing to the Pan-European Energy Challenge.
- What are the overall objectives?
PEARLS’ main objective is to contribute to the acceptance of renewable energy landscapes through the formulation of more open, participative and sustainable energy policies. To achieve this goal, the project enhances the development of researchers’ and technical personnel’s research and innovation capacities and/or abilities through staff exchange and collaborative research that combines the social and technological aspects of the energy challenge. PEARLS is designed as a Southern European and Israeli instrument for the transfer of renewable energy landscape development and management good practice to the rest of the world.
The consolidated framework of international agreements on planning and renewable energies and EU reports will be used as the basis for an analysis of policy and spatial planning. The goal is to give a boost to the social dimension of renewable energy landscapes by implementing spatial planning and social innovation-based methodological and analytical strategies. The transfer of knowledge to citizens by scientific institutions and companies is a major objective of the social science focus.
The Project works via secondments, staff exchange and collaborative enquiry. Hence, PEARLS is executed on the basis of 39 secondments that have already been allocated for the project’s four-year duration. The coherence of the work plan involves both deliverables and milestones. Twenty-five projected deliverables correspond to the various milestones of the seven work packages. Although none of the milestones has been reached to date, good ongoing progress has already been made towards some.
DELIVERABLES BY REPORTING PERIOD
D1.1 Project website.
D7.6 NEC-Requirement No.14.
D7.1 H-Requirement No.3.
D7.2 H-Requirement No.4.
D7.3 POPD-Requirement No.5.
D7.4 POPD-Requirement No.6.
D7.5 POPD-Requirement No.10.
D6.1 Internal Communication.
D6.2 Data Management Plan.
D4.1 Best Current Practices.
D6.3 Progress report I.
D2.1 Research reports.
D6.5 Mid-term meeting.
D3.1 Market Segmentation, Key Actor Maps, Indicator Analysis.
Fourteen of the twenty-five deliverables have already been completed. The above table lists all of these and their due dates. For the most part, these deliverables have consisted of preparing materials to be able to commence research during the Project’s initial stages.
Apart from the general outputs, some work has also been done on disseminating the Project. The PEARLS’ website (institutions) is becoming a vitally important dissemination platform and its different sections offer information about the activities that researchers have to carry out during their daily lives. Seconded researchers are required to prepare reports on their experiences and the work that they have carried out during their secondments and also to submit guidelines for secondment protocols and travel recommendations. A Semantic Map, Key Terms and pre-WP Research Reports are publicly available on the website. Project Leaflets providing general information have been translated into six languages and are also available on the website. However, the most visual output available on the website is, without doubt, an online atlas compiled by the research team with specific information about renewable energy landscape case studies in Southern Europe and Israel.
DELIVERABLES BY REPORTING PERIOD
D1.1 Project website.
D7.6 NEC-Requirement No.14.
D7.1 H-Requirement No.3.
D7.2 H-Requirement No.4.
D7.3 POPD-Requirement No.5.
D7.4 POPD-Requirement No.6.
D7.5 POPD-Requirement No.10.
D6.1 Internal Communication.
D6.2 Data Management Plan.
D4.1 Best Current Practices.
D6.3 Progress report I.
D2.1 Research reports.
D6.5 Mid-term meeting.
D3.1 Market Segmentation, Key Actor Maps, Indicator Analysis.
Fourteen of the twenty-five deliverables have already been completed. The above table lists all of these and their due dates. For the most part, these deliverables have consisted of preparing materials to be able to commence research during the Project’s initial stages.
Apart from the general outputs, some work has also been done on disseminating the Project. The PEARLS’ website (institutions) is becoming a vitally important dissemination platform and its different sections offer information about the activities that researchers have to carry out during their daily lives. Seconded researchers are required to prepare reports on their experiences and the work that they have carried out during their secondments and also to submit guidelines for secondment protocols and travel recommendations. A Semantic Map, Key Terms and pre-WP Research Reports are publicly available on the website. Project Leaflets providing general information have been translated into six languages and are also available on the website. However, the most visual output available on the website is, without doubt, an online atlas compiled by the research team with specific information about renewable energy landscape case studies in Southern Europe and Israel.
PEARLS’ reach and contribution to the enhancement of European research, innovation and knowledge transfer structures is being achieved through the execution of secondments and achievement of research objectives. Another main PEARLS outcome is as a guide to strengthen the population’s commitment to secure, clean and efficient energy. The project is producing evidence-based training materials on social innovation and public engagement tools for use in renewable energy development and other research contexts. Another expected impact of the Project is an impetus to new trans-methodological approaches to social and technological issues. The generation of new channels of communication between society, researchers and companies using everyday formats is a mandatory impact for PEARLS and one that is already up and running through the website and social networks.
This project will bring about a step-change in the way that renewable energy landscapes are addressed and provide essential support for the Pan-European Energy Challenge. Its results will transform policy initiatives and people’s commitment to this challenge in places where energy resources are relevant and local communities are disadvantaged by missing out on the opportunities that networking offers.
This project will bring about a step-change in the way that renewable energy landscapes are addressed and provide essential support for the Pan-European Energy Challenge. Its results will transform policy initiatives and people’s commitment to this challenge in places where energy resources are relevant and local communities are disadvantaged by missing out on the opportunities that networking offers.