Improving Public Acceptance of Onshore Wind Energy Projects Through Value Sensitive Design (VSD): a qualitative exploration

Abstract

Wind Energy is heading towards playing a determinant role in the energy sector in the Netherlands, as it has emerged not only as the most economical way to add new capacity to the national grid, but as an important element in the country’s energy transition. The extraction and consumption of traditional sources of energy such as gas and coal are planned to phase out before 2030, and onshore wind capacity in the country is expected to reach 6.8 GW in 2025 and a 9.6 GW capacity by 2030, with approximately 1500-2000 wind turbines to be installed. In a densely populated country such as the Netherlands, this implies a significant presence of wind turbines in the lives of citizens, with increasing numbers of on-land installations in the upcoming decade.
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the applicability of Value Sensitive Design (VSD) methods to address a very specific issue: the public acceptance of onshore wind energy projects in the Netherlands. The implementation of these projects is crucial for the future energy policy of the country, but has been hindered by low rates of implementation since the first commercially viable options, falling short on national targets consistently since the early 2000s.
Due to the impending urgency of more wind energy capacity in the Dutch grid, and the need for an orderly execution, researchers and policymakers have been looking into possible design techniques for the creation of peaceful pathways towards a common goal. Value Sensitive Design, a theory initially applied within the ICT sector in America, has been found to be possibly applicable to the issue of public acceptance of wind energy projects.

The research starts by contextualising the development of wind energy in the Netherlands, from its first prototypes to the current days, focusing on the influence of the network of actors. It progresses with a review of the studies on public acceptance of wind energy, defining the notion as outcome of a collective process of adoption of the technology from a defined group of stakeholders. The design tool of the Socio-Technical Value Map (STVM) is presented as part of the framework of Value Sensitive Design, and applied to the research problem. The process includes three investigations: a technology mapping, where procedural and technological designs are reviewed in their current status and alternatives, a stakeholder mapping, where the networks of influence present in the sector are analysed, and a value mapping exercise, where the underlying values of the sociotechnical system are visualised through Value Hierarchies. The five identified values that have interplay with public acceptance are Trust, Fairness, Sustainability, Profitability and Well-being. The five values translate into norms and design requirements to be implemented in design initiatives (e.g. implementation of accountability frameworks relates to Fairness, thresholds for shadow-flickering to Well-being, etc.) The design requirements can be synthesised in three approaches to be implemented in process design for new wind onshore energy projects: Proactive Community Management, Public Tendering, and Co-Design and Co-Ownership. These possible solutions are drafted with a value-perspective and address the issue of public acceptance of wind energy projects from a multi-stakeholder perspective. While far from perfect, these approaches are subject to the principles of VSD and aim to improve the dialogue between different groups of stakeholders, as key step towards a comprehensive approach to value-based design of wind energy projects in
the country.