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Are you passionate about the energy transition and understanding people’s perceptions of wind energy? Do you want to be a part of a cutting-edge research project that addresses resistance to wind energy to accelerate the energy transition? Then this exciting full-time four-year PhD opportunity is for you!
We are seeking a highly motivated and talented researcher to join our multidisciplinary team, investigating mental models of wind energy stakeholders and integrating these into energy system models.
Wind power is one of the most mature and cost-competitive renewable energy technologies and is a crucial pillar for achieving climate and energy goals. However, its deployment faces challenges due to low acceptance amongst societal actors and broader ecological and technical obstacles. Considering the pressing need for large-scale off-shore and on-shore wind power deployment and the critical role that social acceptance/resistance plays in achieving this, this PhD project will address the following questions:
In this project, you will apply a novel approach in the field of wind energy acceptance by assessing stakeholder’s mental models of wind energy around case studies in several European countries (at least Norway, Austria, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands). These mental models will be compared to energy system models to identify misunderstandings among stakeholders regarding the impacts of wind energy. Based on these findings, you will develop and test communication materials that improve stakeholders’ understanding of the impacts of wind energy deployment and present these at stakeholder workshops.
The findings of this research will contribute to creating and implementing effective communications and policies to foster social support for wind power deployment. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a growing research field and contribute to the acceleration of the energy transition.
The PhD candidate will be part of a cross-section collaboration between the Innovation Studies group and the Energy and Resources group at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (Faculty of Geosciences), and will be part of the Sustainable Behaviour group in the Copernicus institute. The candidate will be supervised by Dr. Karlijn Van Den Broek, Dr. Luis Eduardo Ramirez Camargo and Prof. dr. Martin Junginger.
Essential knowledge, skills, and experience:
Desirable knowledge, skills, and experience:
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