Social aspects of energy innovations

Energy innovation is not only about developing new technologies and getting them to the market. Energy use is so much intertwined with our daily life that innovations can create all sorts of societal dynamics. The Energy Innovation and Society group addresses these challenges on different levels. We

• Research the essentials of consumer behaviour and public perceptions of energy technologies.
• Provide practical tools, e.g. for managing demand-side management projects in the built environment  or for local engagement in energy projects, e.g. for renewable energy  or CO₂ capture and storage  (CCS).
• Provide expertise on consumer behaviour and preferences in technology development processes.
• Translate our insights into practical policy advice.

Our strengths

Interdisciplinarity: essential for addressing the issues we work on. Our team is able to combine various approaches within the social sciences (e.g. psychological and socio-technical research).
Diversity of methodologies: from quantitative empirical research designs to theoretical socio-technical approaches, both on systemic and individual level. Complex and innovative survey methods and experiments, action-research  and theoretical reviews
Diversity of aims and roles: knowledge creation and policy advice, scenarios, instruments and tools for practitioners.

Ongoing and recent projects

Ongoing and recent projects:

• SPREAD
  ECN contributes to a roadmap for stakeholders and research agenda for EC policy makers to facilitate a shift towards more sustainable lifestyles in the project focusing on consumer lifestyles.
• EcoGrid 
  ECN provides social research and case studies in a European research project focusing on Smart Grids deployment in a demonstration project on the Danish Island of Bornholm.
• CATO-2 (2009-2013)
  ECN researches the general public’s awareness, knowledge and opinion of energy, environment and CCS; part of the Dutch national CCS programme.
• NearCO2
  ECN leads an EU project developing effective strategies for communication to stakeholders and the public about CCS, and for engaging them in local decision-making on CCS projects.
• SiteChar
  ECN provides social site characterization in this EU project on European CO₂ storage sites. 
• IDEAL EPBD
  A European project on consumer response to energy labels in buildings aiming to increase the effect of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). 
• Changing behaviour
  ECN provided socio-technical perspectives on behavioural change related to demand-side management in the built environment, and contributed to the project's MECHanisms toolkit.  

Recent publications

Engagement and communication strategies for CCS projects: Gaps between current and desired practices and exemplary strategies. August 2011

Effective communication strategies to engage the public and stakeholders around CCS projects: a review of country experiences

Lessons from the Dutch CCS case Barendrecht

The Public and CCS: the importance of communication and participation in the context of local realities. November 2010

More information

For more information please contact Marjolein de Best-Waldhober.