-
Explaining energy transition: A systemic social mechanisms approach illustrated with the examples of Germany and Poland Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Ursula Weisenfeld, Katarzyna Ewa Rollert
In our conceptual paper, we develop a systemic social mechanisms model to explain change and inertia of energy systems. Situational, action-formation, and transformational mechanisms that drive change in a transition require corresponding framing and framing contests to create legitimacy for that transition. We conceptualize mechanisms of socio-technical transitions and of creating legitimacy for transitions
-
Building climate resilience through energy access? An empirical study on grid connectivity in the Indian Sundarbans Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Natascha van Bommel, Johanna I. Höffken, Indrani Chatterjee
Scholarly debates on energy and climate change have successfully foregrounded mitigation measures, but often overlook the role of energy in climate adaptation. Adaptation is of key importance to building resilience to climate change impacts, but its link with energy access has not been studied in detail. This study aims to address this research gap by examining the relation between electricity access
-
Does corruption shape attitudes towards carbon taxes? Experimental evidence from Mexico and Sweden Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Dragana Davidovic
Economists and policy experts have long argued for the implementation of carbon taxes as the most cost-efficient way to decrease carbon emissions and enhance climate change mitigation. Public support for such taxes is generally lacking, however, compromising their political feasibility. While a range of determinants of climate policy attitudes have been studied, the role of institutional context, and
-
Transforming titans: The role of policy mixes in business model adaptation strategies for sustainability transitions Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Mina Rezaeian, Jonatan Pinkse, John Rigby
In recent years, research on government policies in sustainability transition studies has proliferated, largely focusing on their role to drive transformational change through technological innovation. This strand of research faces two main challenges. First, the research has remained largely fragmented due to the breadth of concepts it encompasses. Second, despite the acknowledged importance of business
-
Identifying and analysing important model assumptions: Combining techno-economic and political feasibility of deep decarbonisation pathways in Norway Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-10 Tor Håkon Jackson Inderberg, Hilde Andrea Nykamp, Ville Olkkonen, Eva Rosenberg, Karianne Krohn Taranger
Understanding the political feasibility of transition pathways is a key issue in energy transitions. Policy changes are a significant source of uncertainty in energy system optimisation modelling. Energy system models are nevertheless continuously being updated to reflect policy signals as realistically as possible. Using the concept of as a starting point, this cross-disciplinary study combines energy
-
Financially-constrained solar development: A comparative analysis of urban fabrics and scalar expression in Portugal and Rajasthan Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Siddharth Sareen
Solar energy takes many varied forms in and beyond the urban infrastructure. Compared to large-scale plants, small-scale solar forms have received little attention, yet arguably hold more hope for just energy transitions by serving local needs close to energy demand while distributing benefits locally. These forms mark the contingent outcomes of struggles against rigid bureaucracies of energy infrastructure
-
Perceptions of competing agendas in carbon neutrality policies in Portugal: Adverse impacts on vulnerable population groups Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Katherine Mahoney, Rita Lopes, Siddharth Sareen, João Pedro Gouveia
The links between the political agendas of climate change, the energy transition, and energy poverty are multiple, complex, and overlapping. In line with European Union policy demands, Member States are implementing the various policies necessary to address these agendas, with an emergent focus on their synergistic potential. Successful implementation requires cooperation between multiple actors, yet
-
Labour implications of the net-zero transition and clean energy exports in Australia Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Julian McCoy, Dominic Davis, Erin Mayfield, Michael J. Brear
We examine the employment implications of a domestic net-zero transition and establishment of clean energy export systems for an historically significant energy exporting country, through a case study of Australia. The labour impacts of a multi-decadal transition are simulated across both the domestic and export energy systems, considering a wide range of energy technologies, resources and activities
-
Gaslighting Europe: Russia's energy disinformation in the Czech Republic Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Agáta Paličková, Filip Černoch
This study explores the narratives surrounding energy security, the Russia-Ukraine war, and natural gas, as conveyed by Russia's state-owned news outlet, Sputnik. We delve into how these narratives are reflected in the Czech Republic's disinformation media—a nation notably susceptible to Russian influence—and how they aid Russia in steering the local conversation to heighten vulnerability to energy
-
Examining urban household energy consumption patterns in Mozambique through a gendered lens Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Adélia Filosa Francisco Chicombo, Josephine Kaviti Musango
Fostering access to modern and clean energy sources in urban developing households involves a gender-sensitive approach. Although the relationship between energy sources and services has been studied extensively in recent years, less attention has been paid to the link between household energy consumption patterns and gender roles to explain the persistent reliance on biomass in urban developing contexts
-
Energy justice beyond the wire: Exploring the multidimensional inequities of the electrical power grid in the United States Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Benjamin K. Sovacool, Sanya Carley, Lynne Kiesling
This Perspective applies a multidimensional, whole-systems energy justice lens to the electrical power grid, conceived of as the national electricity transmission and distribution network in the United States. The electrical power grid exists primarily to provide reliable and safe energy services to anyone and everyone, and at any time of the day. It represents a massive system of physical infrastructure
-
Stakeholder perspectives on the future of clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa and the role of pay-as-you-go LPG in expanding access Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 T. Perros, J. Tomei, P. Parikh
Reliance on polluting cooking fuels is linked to three million premature deaths per year as well as other climatic, environmental and social impacts. Numerous clean cooking fuels are available but remain inaccessible to low-income consumers due to affordability limitations. An emerging solution targeting the urban poor is pay-as-you-go (PAYG) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which allows gas to be purchased
-
Assessing the social and environmental impacts of the just energy transition in Komati, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Bonolo Tladi, Njabulo Kambule, Lee-Ann Modley
In response to the Paris Agreement, South Africa has committed to decommissioning its coal-fired power stations and transitioning to renewable energy technologies. The pilot project for the energy transition that is planned for the place is the decommissioning of the 1000 MW Komati power station, in Mpumalanga province. Despite the existence of these guidelines, the energy transition may not be just
-
Changing networks of power: A theoretical approach to the study of capitalized power in contemporary energy transitions Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Tia Levi, Emil Israel
This paper presents a theoretical approach to the study of power in energy transitions that builds upon Capital as Power (CasP) theory and the critique of neoclassical growth theory. The approach integrates an understanding of capitalist power relations and a consideration of changes in societal energy capture. The approach includes two levels of social power — a level, in which the socio-technical
-
The use of green bonds in financing energy retrofits in buildings Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Hannah MacRae, Laura Tozer
Energy retrofits are an important tool needed to achieve decarbonization in the building sector, but there are currently many financial barriers to their implementation. Green bonds could be an effective way to finance retrofit projects by providing sizable upfront capital with long payback periods. However, there is a lack of research on green bonds and how they are used to finance retrofit projects
-
Unpacking the strategy of an energy incumbent: A case study of a Dutch oil and gas company in transition Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Harry Moncreiff, Ronan Bolton, Mark Winskel
In recent years a growing number of oil and gas companies have engaged in the energy transition. As a result, it has been claimed that these organisations have the potential to play a significant role in accelerating the energy transition. However, there remains a lack of research into the internal processes through which oil and gas companies establish and develop strategy for such engagement. This
-
Who can cope with a carbon tax? The role of financial consequences in policy acceptance among German homeowners Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Karolin Schmidt, Ingo Kasnter, Ellen Matthies
Although carbon pricing represents a crucial policy measure for global climate-protection, its political enforceability is strongly determined by its societal acceptance, which is often lacking. Building on diverse previous research, the main objective of the present study was to examine the role that people's perceived ability to cope with the financial hurdle of carbon pricing plays for their acceptance
-
The visual stories in addressing climate change that a petroleum business tells and lives by: A multimodal critical ecolinguistic perspective Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Jiayu Wang, Jinyan Liu
Visuals in environmental communication can potentially shape the public perception of environmental issues. They are frequently used in corporate communication in sustainability reports to construct environmentally responsible corporate images. This study analyzes the images used in the sections addressing climate change in the sustainability reports of an international petroleum mega-business from
-
Beyond the average consumer: Mapping the potential of demand-side management among patterns of appliance usage Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Matteo Barsanti, Selin Yilmaz, Claudia R. Binder
To support the decarbonisation of the power sector and offset the volatility of a system with high levels of renewables, there is growing interest in residential Demand-Side Management (DSM) solutions. Traditional DSM strategies require consumers to actively adjust the timing, mode, and frequency of their appliance usage to curtail or shift in time energy consumption. Therefore, overlooking the dynamic
-
The financing dynamics of niche innovation in energy transitions: A South African perspective Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Amanda-Leigh O'Connell
This study explores the impact of financing rules on energy system financing dynamics and the implications for niche innovation and energy transitions. Using an instrumental case study underpinned by critical realism, it draws on primary data from financiers and innovators in South Africa to propose a set of financing meta-rules, identify tensions in varying institutional contexts, and suggest multi-dimensional
-
Explaining varying speeds of low-carbon reorientation in the United Kingdom's steel, petrochemical, and oil refining industries: A multi-dimensional comparative analysis and outlook Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Frank W. Geels, Julian Gregory
Accelerated decarbonisation of steelmaking, oil refining and petrochemical industries is essential for climate change mitigation. Drawing on three longitudinal case studies of these industries in the UK, this synthesis article makes a comparative analysis of their varying low-carbon reorientation speeds. The paper uses the triple embeddedness framework to analyse five factors (policy support, international
-
Measuring and characterising green jobs: A literature review Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Arthur Apostel, Mikkel Barslund
This study presents a comprehensive literature review on green job measurement and characterisation across various countries and world regions. The study adopts a conceptual framework distinguishing between output-based and process-based greenness, and entity-level and occupation-specific measurement techniques. The wide-ranging green job estimates result from diverse concepts, measurement techniques
-
Beyond predict and provide: Embracing sufficiency synergies in road freight electrification across the European Union Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Sophie-Marie Ertelt
The challenge of aligning with the net-zero ambitions of the European Union necessitates a critical examination of the road freight transport sector, a pivotal contributor to global commerce and greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the sector's potential for electrification to mitigate emissions, the prevailing ‘predict and provide’ planning approach may inadvertently reduce this low-carbon transition
-
Can isolated microgrids be viable? A longitudinal study of long-term sustainability in rural Senegal Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Emilie Etienne, Pierre Robert
Isolated microgrids are promoted as solutions for rural electrification in the Global South but they often encounter difficulties during their lifespan. Despite this, long-term research on microgrid viability and sustainability is scarce. Building on existing works, we develop a multidimensional approach to sustainability based on four dimensions: technical, financial, institutional and socio-cultural
-
Performing energy justice futures: How visions of just futures shape discourses and practices in the United Kingdom's community energy sector Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Nayim Patel
The UK's Community Energy sector is a grassroots-led movement that tackles the country's decarbonisation and fuel poverty challenges by building community-scale renewable projects and directing funds towards low-income households. Comparative studies indicate that community energy initiatives are more durable and engage citizens more deeply than public and private counterparts. Some scholars emphasise
-
How to support the adoption of open-source energy system modelling software? Insights from interviews with users and developers Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Nicholas Gorman, Iain MacGill, Anna Bruce
Energy system models are important for decision-making and are commonly applied to questions related to the decarbonisation of the energy system, reducing the cost of supplying energy, and managing energy security. However, with this importance have come calls to open up energy system modelling to improve transparency, reproducibility, collaboration, and productivity. Despite this, in jurisdictions
-
Are Dutch homeowners willing to invest in sustainable heating systems? Comparing intentions and determinants in four scenarios Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-24 Menno D.T. de Jong, Remco Pieterse, Sikke R. Jansma
The energy transition, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, requires everyone's efforts to succeed. In the Netherlands, homeowners are expected to invest in sustainable heating. This article describes a cross-sectional survey among Dutch homeowners ( = 302) investigating determinants of their intentions to make such investments. Unlike earlier research, this study problematized the concept
-
The energy injustice of household solar energy: A systematic review of distributional disparities in residential rooftop solar adoption Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Gabriel Konzen, Rohan Best, Nivalde José de Castro
Power generation from grid-connected residential photovoltaic (PV) systems has been widely recognized worldwide as an integral component in the energy transition. However, concerns remain about whether its costs and benefits have been fairly distributed in our society. This systematic review was conducted using 87 articles to explore inequalities in the adoption of rooftop PV systems in the world and
-
Coupling green hydrogen production to community benefits: A pathway to social acceptance? Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Joel A. Gordon, Nazmiye Balta-Ozkan, Anwar Haq, Seyed Ali Nabavi
Hydrogen energy technologies are forecasted to play a critical supporting role in global decarbonisation efforts, as reflected by the growth of national hydrogen energy strategies in recent years. Notably, the UK government published its Hydrogen Strategy in August 2021 to support decarbonisation targets and energy security ambitions. While establishing techno-economic feasibility for hydrogen energy
-
Pro-environmental, prosocial, pro-self, or does it depend? A more nuanced understanding of the motivations underlying residential solar panel adoption Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Lisa Legault, Stephen Bird, Martin D. Heintzelman
Although a small body of research has examined the motivational foundations of homeowners' decisions to adopt rooftop solar panels, in this research we compared adoptive and non-adoptive homeowners in the United States ( = 824) across a spectrum of values and motives to identify the most salient predictors of solar adoption within various demographic and political strata. Results of hierarchical logistic
-
Green finance in the global energy transition: Actors, instruments, and politics Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Milan Babic
All aspects of the global energy transition - from decarbonization to adaptation - require massive investments of several trillion US Dollars annually. In the respective debates in political economy and beyond, the question of how to mobilize adequate volumes of such ‘green’ finance is central. However, there is little agreement on what constitutes this type of finance and how energy research can employ
-
Fossil fuel interests in Puerto Rico: Perceptions of incumbent power and discourses of delay Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Laura Kuhl, Jennie C. Stephens, Carlos Arriaga Serrano, Marla Perez-Lugo, Cecilio Ortiz-Garcia, Ryan Ellis
This study explores perceptions of fossil fuel interests and the role narratives of fossil fuel obstruction play in slowing down the renewable energy transition in Puerto Rico. We analyzed interviews conducted with 56 “energy actors” engaged in Puerto Rico's energy system about their visions of the system's future and perceptions of the influence of different actors in promoting change or reinforcing
-
Do you listen to your neighbour? The role of block leaders in community-led energy retrofits Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Tije van Casteren, Ioulia V. Ossokina, Theo A. Arentze
Community-led initiatives can play an important role in reducing the barriers to the adoption of energy-saving measures in homes. Quantitative insights about the role of communities and their leaders in energy transition are largely missing however. This paper exploits unique data on 78 community-led retrofitting campaigns run during 2014–2020 in the Netherlands, and studies econometrically the role
-
-
Acceptance dynamics of innovation diffusion: A heuristic framework for analysing actor reorientations in sustainability transitions Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Cristian Pons-Seres de Brauwer
The accelerated decarbonisation of energy systems entails a drastic increase in the diffusion rate of renewable energies. The adoption of ambitious policy mixes to this end faces a number of key challenges related to the resistance of multiple actors against the disruptive changes that such an acceleration entail. Policy-driven innovation diffusion efforts will thus require the sustained support and
-
Misalignments of theory and practice: Exploring Swedish energy utilities' understandings of energy justice, flexibility capital, and just energy transitions Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Frans Libertson
Ensuring that the existing social inequalities of the current energy system are not transferred to the new system is crucial for the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This is the domain of energy justice—a normative and evaluative framework that has been applied extensively throughout the past decade for understanding the perspective of disadvantaged energy users. However, less attention has
-
Growth in energy justice: Exploring impacts of Residential Solar Incentive Program on rooftop solar adoption growth rates in Connecticut Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-19 Emily G. Holt, Deborah A. Sunter
Solar photovoltaics (PV) offers an alternative to fossil fuels and accelerated adoption of solar PV is expected among utilities, businesses, and communities. However, not all communities are seeing these transformative opportunities. National studies have exposed disparities in rooftop solar adoption across demographic groups, with low-income, renter-occupied, and communities of color disproportionately
-
Processes of power: Transitions and justice of energy infrastructure in Minnesota Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Matthew Grimley, Anna Giesting, Sarah Komoroski, Gabriel Chan
Practitioners and scholars contend that transitions, to be successful in redistributing benefits, should grapple with power dynamics. For many, however, there are gaps in understanding how power dynamics change over time, and how changes in power dynamics can help create transitions that are just. To help inform these gaps, we rely on first- and secondhand historical accounts to build thick, decades-long
-
Hedgehogs, foxes, blueprints, and skeletons: Untangling the murky complexity of theoretical and conceptual frameworks Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Brahim Hiba
The terms “theoretical framework” and “conceptual framework” are often sources of confusion and debate. Doctoral students and novice researchers usually struggle to discern the disparities between these two threshold concepts. Despite the extensive literature on theoretical and conceptual frameworks, the complex and technical jargon used is sometimes perplexing. Furthermore, the information about these
-
‘Doing old folks' lungs a solid?’ Who burns solid fuels among older Irish adults and its links to health Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Aidan Sloyan, Bertrand Maitre
Ireland is an outlier in the context of rich countries in that a high share of households continue to use solid fuels such as peat, coal, and wood for home heating. Therefore, reducing households' consumption of solid fuels is a key goal in order to improve health and environmental outcomes. This is particularly relevant for older adults aged fifty and over because they are more likely to use solid
-
Jolts at the ballot box: Electricity prices and voting in Swedish manufacturing communities Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Anton Brännlund, Jan Amcoff, Marcus Österman, Lauri Peterson, Håkan Brännlund
This research examines the overlooked political implications of energy pricing on voting patterns in manufacturing communities, amidst increasing scholarly interest in the political ramifications of Western industrial decline. We focus specifically on the surge in electricity prices and their effect on electoral choices in manufacturing-dense regions in Sweden during the 2022 general elections. The
-
From incentives to instructions: Climate policy mechanisms on heat pumps, datacentres, district heating, and epistemic collisions hindering decarbonisation in practice Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Caroline Anna Salling
A key mechanism of contemporary climate policy is to stimulate economic competition in technology markets to ensure more efficient energy use. But, what are the consequences of such incentive-based mechanisms for achieving decarbonisation in practice? I focus on heat pumps, both large and small, that are installed in households to replace oil and gas boilers and within district heating systems to use
-
Smart power to the people: Business models for engaging domestic energy users in smart local energy systems in Britain Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Tim Braunholtz-Speight, Maria Sharmina, Dimitrios Pappas, Janette Webb, Fabián Fuentes-González, Matthew Hannon
Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) are proposed as a method of decarbonising energy systems that uses demand management by energy users to integrate intermittent renewables. SLES therefore require the increasingly active participation of energy users in the operation of energy systems. We spoke to operators and developers of existing local energy systems in Britain today, to understand their business
-
Disassembling Poland's high-carbon imaginaries from within: The case of local activism in Upper Silesia Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Kosma Lechowicz, Magdalena Kuchler
This paper seeks to understand how dominant high-carbon imaginaries, such as those associated with coal, can be disassembled from within. Although resistance can have a disruptive potential to threaten the prevailing energy narrative, in certain contexts, the complete replacement of the dominant imaginary with an alternative one may not always be feasible or preferable. The paper shows how thinking
-
These are tenants not guinea pigs: Barriers and facilitators of retrofit in Wales, United Kingdom Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Deborah J. Morgan, Carol A. Maddock, Charles B.A. Musselwhite
Retrofitting existing homes with new energy efficient technologies is essential to reduce emissions and move towards achieving a ‘net zero’ carbon emission target. This paper reports on research that investigated the process of retrofitting new technologies in existing social rented homes in Wales, United Kingdom. It used mixed-methods consisting of pre- and post-retrofit surveys, qualitative interviews
-
Energizing building renovation: Unraveling the dynamic interplay of building stock evolution, individual behaviour, and social norms Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Leila Niamir, Alessio Mastrucci, Bas van Ruijven
In recent years, discussions surrounding climate change have increasingly emphasized the significance of demand-side solutions. This shift has led to an interdisciplinary and bottom-up approach aimed at supporting global efforts to mitigate climate change. However, conventional modelling tools used to understand the energy demand system and to inform policymaking often fall short in capturing bottom-up
-
Beyond energy justice: Ethics of care as a new approach in the energy system Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Kirsten Gram-Hanssen
Social science research has raised questions of energy justice, including issues pertaining to affordable energy, the right to be involved in decisions and the negative impacts of energy production. However, the justice perspective involves problems in balancing human needs and planetary boundaries, including understanding human needs as sociotechnical constructions. From a feminist perspective, the
-
-
Transitioning or tinkering at a net-zero economy? Introducing an assessment framework for industrial cluster decarbonisation in the United Kingdom Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Chris Ogwumike, Anderson Akponeware, Adepeju Oyewole, Huda Dawood, Ruben Pinedo-Cuenca, Janie Ling-Chin, Anthony Paul Roskilly, Nashwan Dawood
Decarbonising industrial clusters globally is crucial in combating climate change and is integral to the United Kingdom's ambition of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. The absence of holistic frameworks that provide a nuanced understanding of the broad spectrum of mitigation options for decarbonising industrial clusters, coupled with a deficiency in real-world empirical evaluations, present a substantial
-
Reducing energy poverty: How to empower women and switch to clean fuel in India? Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Pronay Ghosh, Vasundhara Chatterjee, Avike Paul, Debarati Ghosh, Zakir Husain
Despite the call for ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030, the dependence of households on biomass fuel remains high. Studies reveal that empowering women leads to a shift to clean fuel. But are all dimensions of empowerment equally important in influencing the shift to clean fuel? This study employs data from the fifth round of the nationally-representative
-
Up close, it gets worse: Comparison of hydropower perceptions between impacted populations in the Amazon and those of the Brazilian population as a whole Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Igor Cavallini Johansen, Adam P. Mayer, Emilio F. Moran
In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing the global demand for affordable and clean energy is paramount. While hydropower is often perceived as meeting both criteria, its true merits are subject to debate. This paper delves into energy preferences within Brazil, with a specific focus on hydropower, the nation's predominant energy source. It takes on a unique challenge previously
-
Energy transition policies in Germany and the United Kingdom Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Rafael Luis Sacco, Milena Megre, Hirdan Katarina de Medeiros Costa, Thiago Luis Felipe Brito, Edmilson Moutinho dos Santos
In recent years, the international community has raised concerns about global warming and climate change, which established commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and policies to foster energy transition and the decarbonization of their economies. The literature review points out that policies encouraging or subsidizing a cleaner energy mix and lowering carbon footprint have effectively
-
Flexible electricity consumption policies in Norway and Sweden: Implications for energy justice Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Tor Håkon Jackson Inderberg, Jenny Palm, Eivind Hjort Matthiasen
Policies for shifting household electricity load are in focus in several countries, aimed at optimizing grid operation and tackling current and expected challenges from consumption patterns, like increased peak loads on the grid. Central here are recent developments in capacity charges, where the use of significant amounts of grid capacity is priced high, compared to the traditional pricing of electricity
-
Towards a multi-color hydrogen production network? Competing imaginaries of development in northern Patagonia, Argentina Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Felix Malte Dorn
(Green) hydrogen has recently gained importance as a key element in the transition to a low-carbon energy future, sparking a boom in possible production regions. This article aims at situating incipient hydrogen production in the Argentine province of Río Negro within a global production network (GPN). The early configuration of the hydrogen-GPN includes several stakeholders and is contested in many
-
Ghana's National Energy Transition Framework: Domestic aspirations and mistrust in international relations complicate ‘justice and equity’ Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Clement Sefa-Nyarko
This paper draws on a new global framework for energy justice – a fair distribution of decision making, representation, the costs, and benefits of energy services across time and space – to interrogate Ghana's National Energy Transition (NET) framework. It examines the government's justifications for not prioritizing green energy and for moving slowly towards net zero emission target of 2070. Whereas
-
District heating with complexity: Anticipating unintended consequences in the transition towards a climate-neutral city in the Netherlands Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 C. Gürsan, V. de Gooyert, M. de Bruijne, J. Raaijmakers
District heating systems are considered a feasible heating alternative to replace natural gas to mitigate emissions in cities. However, urban transitions are very complex because energy systems often operate in densely populated areas, which gives rise to all kinds of interdependencies in cities. These interdependencies can result in unintended consequences which can indirectly help or hinder urban
-
Boosting green energy transition to tackle energy poverty in Europe Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Alfonso Carfora, Giuseppe Scandurra
Global COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated household energy poverty in many countries. During the latter half of 2021, as the situation gradually improved, a new threat emerged in the form of energy prices' inflationary surge, exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This paper attempts to provide pragmatic projections of energy poverty in European countries over the next five years. Furthermore, the
-
Can media influence public support for carbon capture and storage? Comparing the impacts of frames in Denmark Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Mads Wædegaard, Sofie Hvemon, Mogens Jin Pedersen
Governments worldwide are turning to climate technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the successful implementation of CCS is intricately connected to public perception and support. Local protests have already impeded CCS projects in several countries. We conduct a media content analysis of nine major Danish newspapers to develop two CCS frames
-
Mapping summer energy poverty: The lived experience of older adults in Madrid, Spain Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Daniel Torrego-Gómez, Marta Gayoso-Heredia, Miguel Núñez-Peiró, Carmen Sánchez-Guevara
Summer energy poverty has been identified as an overlooked issue within energy poverty research. Although there is a growing interest in qualitatively characterizing urban-scale phenomena by paticipative means and public engagement, there is not yet sufficient experiences focused on characterizing community relationships and strategies to cope with excessive heat. During summertime, cities located
-
Landscape user experiences of interspace and overhead agrivoltaics: A comparative analysis of two novel types of solar landscapes in the Netherlands Energy Research & Social Science (IF 8.514) Pub Date : 2024-02-03 Kitti Biró-Varga, Igor Sirnik, Sven Stremke
As renewable energy adoption accelerates, solar power plants are being installed at a higher-than-ever rate, frequently occupying agricultural lands. Agrivoltaic systems integrate crop cultivation and electricity production on the same land, providing a solution for the otherwise competing land use demands between energy generation and food production. The implementation of agrivoltaic power plants