Social energy storage model

What is a research agenda for the social acceptance of energy storage?

A research agenda for the social acceptance of energy storage is proposed that sets out key research questions relating international, national and local levels. The outcome of such studies would not only lead to enhanced understanding of processes of social acceptance, but deliver important insights for policy and practice. 1. Introduction

What is energy storage?

Energy storage is one of a number of measures proposed to deliver system flexibility, and is an area of rapidly developing technological and economic activity ( McKinsey, 2015 ). Storage solutions, like many energy technologies, can be deployed at a range of scales, involving many forms of ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ (cf. Walker and Cass 2007 ).

What is community energy storage?

With the significant investment required for individual energy storage (IES), community energy storage (CES) emerges as a key facilitator, enabling the smooth incorporation of renewable energy sources and strengthening grid flexibility.

What are the policy implications of Energy Research?

In terms of policy implications, we identify the following conclusions. First, policy makers could give higher priority to issues of social acceptance in funding calls for grant proposals. Energy research is already skewed away from the social sciences towards disciplines such as engineering and economics ( Sovacool, 2014 ).

Do centralized infrastructures shape policy makers' beliefs about energy storage?

Research can investigate how longstanding beliefs about the virtues of national scale, centralized infrastructures may shape policy makers’ beliefs about potential technological trajectories of energy storage, perhaps favouring policies consistent with macro-scale deployments over meso and micro-solutions.

How important is societal support for energy adoption?

However, addressing these technical and material challenges alone is not enough to ensure a successful transition. Equally important are the social dimensions of energy adoption, particularly public acceptance. Without broad societal support, even the most sustainable technologies can face significant obstacles.