10.6084/m9.figshare.3543248.v1
Anna Krzywoszynska
Anna
Krzywoszynska
Alastair Buckley
Alastair
Buckley
Huw Birch
Huw
Birch
Matt Watson
Matt
Watson
Prue Chiles
Prue
Chiles
Jose Mawyin
Jose
Mawyin
Helen Holmes
Helen
Holmes
Nicky Gregson
Nicky
Gregson
Co-producing energy futures: impacts of participatory modelling
Taylor & Francis Group
2016
agency
built environment
cooperation
co-production
energy model
renewable energy
resilience
social capital
2016-08-05 13:10:20
Dataset
https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Co-producing_energy_futures_impacts_of_participatory_modelling/3543248
<p>This transdisciplinary research case study sought to disrupt the usual ways public participation shapes future energy systems. An interdisciplinary group of academics and a self-assembling public of a North English town co-produced ‘bottom-up’ visions for a future local energy system by emphasizing local values, aspirations and desires around energy futures. The effects of participatory modelling are considered as part of a community visioning process on participants’ social learning and social capital. This paper examines both the within-process dynamics related to models and the impact of the outside process, political use of the models by the participants. Both a numerical model (to explore local electricity generation and demand) and a physical scale model of the town were developed to explore various aspects of participants’ visions. The case study shows that collaborative visioning of local energy systems can enhance social learning and social capital of communities. However, the effect of participatory modelling on these benefits is less clear. Tensions arise between ‘inspiring’ and ‘empowering’ role of visions. It is argued that the situatedness of the visioning processes needs to be recognized and integrated within broader aspects of governance and power relations.</p>