The role of values in public beliefs and attitudes towards commercial wind energy

Mandates for renewable energy lead to siting disputes, because meeting the mandates requires the development of renewable energy production facilities. Proposals for one common form of renewable energy, commercial wind farms, are frequently met with forceful local opposition. Dissatisfied with simplistic explanations for this opposition (i.e., NIMBY), social scientists have urged a more nuanced understanding of public attitudes towards wind energy and other renewables. Based on a survey of residents of coastal Michigan, this article explores the role of general values and beliefs in shaping attitudes towards the potential development of commercial wind energy projects in or near respondents’ communities. Structural equation modeling reveals that support of commercial wind energy depends largely on a belief that wind farms will provide economic benefits to the community. Underlying values have substantial and important indirect effects on beliefs regarding the likely economic outcomes of wind farm development. Altruistic values buoy wind energy attitudes, while values of traditionalism diminish wind energy support. The pivotal role of values in attitudes towards renewables lends support for more participatory development processes.     

Woodland owners' attitudes towards energy from forest biomass in a carbon-intensive jurisdiction: Case study of Nova Scotia,Canada

The use of forest biomass in thermal generation processes has been recognized by the Government of Nova Scotia (NS) as one option that could help meet its renewable electricity goals (25% by 2015 and 40% by 2020). Over half of the woodland in NS is owned by small-private woodland owners (51%), indicating that they could significantly influence the future of NS forests and its potential use for energy purposes. This paper presents the results of a survey of small-woodland owners on their attitudes towards using energy from forest biomass. 489 small-woodland owners responded to mail-out surveys and 14 rural community members participated in three focus groups. Three major findings emerged. First, it was found that the acceptability of using forest products varied depending on multiple factors – the source of biomass, harvesting methods, and [predicted] end-use. Second, forest sustainability and keeping resources local were the two most important concerns amongst respondents. Finally, respondents felt that better collaboration with other stakeholders and education around the issues would be the best strategies for overcoming these concerns. The paper also highlights the barriers and drivers as perceived by the woodland owners as they relate to the possibility of using more biomass for energy in the future.     

Valuing a wind farm construction: A contingent valuation study in Greece

Our analysis is based on data from a double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation study implemented to elicit public attitudes towards renewable energy generation and their willingness to pay for the construction of a wind farm in the area of Messanagros in the island of Rhodes, Greece. Results indicate that there are significant positive values deriving from the proposed project. Respondents report a mean willingness to pay a premium in their bi-monthly electric bills of €8.86 for the sole purpose of the construction of the wind farm. The estimated economic benefits to the local population are weighed against the investment cost in a cost–benefit analysis to inform policy making and implications for EU energy policy are provided.     

Investigation of wind farm location planning by considering budget constraints

The growing awareness about the adverse effects of fossil fuels and the ensuing pollution has encouraged and promoted the use of renewable energies throughout the world. This in turn has encouraged governments and investors to show more interest in generation of renewable energy through construction of facilities such as wind farms. The novelty of this research work is the budget constraints consideration for the first time in wind energy projects. This work is done for the Khorasan provinces of Iran. This study is based on regional and municipal data pertaining to the year 2016, and uses the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to deal with the uncertainty of the data. The fuzzy TOPSIS method is used to evaluate and rank the candidate cities, and the results are then used to develop a budget-constrained model by fuzzy linear programming with the Maxmin objective function. The resulting mathematical model is optimised with GAMS software. The modelling results show that in the presence of budget constraints, of 10 Khorasan cities considered as candidate locations, Afriz, Rudab, and Fadashk exhibit the best conditions for the construction of wind farms.     

Public attitudes of wind energy in Texas: Local communities in close proximity to wind farms and their effect on decision-making

Wind energy is now recognized as an important energy resource throughout the world. Within the United States, the state of Texas currently has the largest wind energy capacity with 8797 total megawatts and an additional 660 MW under construction. With this rapid growth, it is important to achieve a better understanding of how wind energy is being perceived by the public.     

Optimizing hydrogen production capacity and day ahead market bidding for a wind farm in Texas

Producing green hydrogen from wind energy is one potential method to mitigate curtailment. This study develops a general approach to examine the economic benefit of adding hydrogen production capacity through water electrolysis along with the fuel cell and storage facilities in a wind farm in north Texas. The study also investigates different day ahead market bidding strategies in the existence of these technologies. The results show that adding hydrogen capacity to the wind farm is profitable when hydrogen price is greater than $3.58/kg, and that the optimal day ahead market bidding strategy changes as hydrogen price changes. The results also suggest that both the addition of a fuel cell to reconvert stored hydrogen to electricity and the addition of a battery to smooth the electricity input to the electrolyzer are suboptimal for the system in the case of this study. The profit of a particular bidding scenario is most sensitive to the selling price of hydrogen, and then the input parameters of the electrolyzer. This study also provides policy implications by investigating the impact of different policy schemes on the optimal hydrogen production level.     

Secondary school teachers' knowledge,perceptions, and attitudes toward renewable energy in Jordan

Successful energy planning requires substituting the standard economic model with a more transparent public participatory model because people play a fundamental role in climate change mitigation and renewable energy (RE) deployment. This approach requires improving communication with society and enabling smooth delivery of easy to digest information to citizens in both formal and informal educational settings. In this context, education and teachers, as the principal components, are recognized as one mechanism. We conducted a survey-based study, collecting 260 questionnaires from secondary school teachers in Jordan aiming to investigate their knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward RE development. The main findings of this study revealed that teachers have limited knowledge of RE and neutral perceptions regarding its use. However, teachers showed clear positive attitudes toward RE development. Overall, male teachers exhibited slightly higher knowledge of RE and female teachers held stronger positive attitudes. A number of socio-demographic and work related factors did not influence the teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward RE. It was also found that teachers require personal training regarding RE before it is introduced into school curricula.     

Identifying predictors of attitudes towards local onshore wind development with reference to an English case study

The threats posed by climate change are placing governments under increasing pressure to meet electricity demand from low-carbon sources. In many countries, including the UK, legislation is in place to ensure the continued expansion of renewable energy capacity. Onshore wind turbines are expected to play a key role in achieving these aims. However, despite high levels of public support for onshore wind development in principle, specific projects often experience local opposition. Traditionally this difference in general and specific attitudes has been attributed to NIMBYism (not in my back yard), but evidence is increasingly calling this assumption into question. This study used multiple regression analysis to identify what factors might predict attitudes towards mooted wind development in Sheffield, England. We report on the attitudes of two groups; one group (target) living close to four sites earmarked for development and an unaffected comparison group (comparison). We found little evidence of NIMBYism amongst members of the target group; instead, differences between general and specific attitudes appeared attributable to uncertainty regarding the proposals. The results are discussed with respect to literature highlighting the importance of early, continued and responsive community involvement in combating local opposition and facilitating the deployment of onshore wind turbines.     

An analysis of feed-in tariff remuneration models: Implications for renewable energy investment

Recent experience from around the world suggests that feed-in tariffs (FITs) are the most effective policy to encourage the rapid and sustained deployment of renewable energy. There are several different ways to structure a FIT policy, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This paper presents an overview of seven different ways to structure the remuneration of a FIT policy, divided into two broad categories: those in which remuneration is dependent on the electricity price, and those that remain independent from it. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of these different FIT models, and concludes with an analysis of these design options, with a focus on their implications both for investors and for society.     

Public attitudes towards renewable energy technologies in Norway. The role of party preferences

Transition to a sustainable society requires large-scale conversion of the energy system to new, renewable, non-fossil sources of energy. This presupposes public support for new technologies, which means the public must deal with challenges in terms of placement, area requirements, ecological degradation and price developments. This paper discusses how citizens view renewable energy technologies. It analyses responses to representative surveys of the Norwegian population on the desirability of various energy technologies such as hydroelectric dams, onshore and offshore wind energy, bioenergy plants and, for contrast, gas plants with and without carbon capture and storage. Our main focus is on the influence of party political preference on views of renewable energy. We find that the sometimes lukewarm enthusiasm for renewable energy technologies cannot be fully explained by existing theories and that political party preference has a larger impact on energy technology attitudes than previously believed.     

The impact of land use constraints in multi-objective energy-noise wind farm layout optimization

Recently the environmental impact of onshore wind farms is receiving major attention from both governments and wind farm designers. As land is more extensively exploited for wind farms, it is more likely for wind turbines to be in proximity with human dwellings, infrastructure (e.g. roads, transmission lines), and natural habitats (e.g. rivers, lakes, forests). This proximity makes significant portions of land unusable for the designers, introducing a set of land-use constraints. In this study, we conduct a constrained and continuous-variable multi-objective optimization that considers energy and noise as its objective functions, based on Jensen's wake model and the ISO-9613-2 noise standard. A stochastic evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-II) solves the optimization problem, while the land-use constraints are handled with static and dynamic penalty functions. Results of this study illustrate the effect of constraint severity and spatial distribution of unusable land on the trade-off between energy generation and noise production.     

A survey of tourist attitudes to renewable energy supply in Australian hotel accommodation

The results of a survey are presented describing the attitudes of Australian tourists to micro-generation renewable energy supply (RES) for hotel accommodation. The average positive response rate to all questions was above 50%, implying a desire by tourists for environmentally friendly accommodation and renewable energy supply. Tourists indicated that they perceived RES to be reliable and expressed a willingness to cooperate with RES initiatives and possible resultant inconveniences. However, there were mixed opinions with regard to consumer willingness to pay for the product. Of the 49% of respondents who were willing to pay extra for RES, 92% replied they would pay between 1% and 5%. Analysis of the variation in response due to accommodation type revealed a ‘city’ hotel versus ‘eco-resort’ difference. Likewise, a breakdown of responses according to country of origin indicated that Australians had a more positive attitude to RES than overseas visitors, including Japanese and Americans. While no variation in response was detected according to gender, age had a measurable bearing on response, with older guests returning a higher positive response rate. Visual queue questions querying aesthetic opinions and ‘not-in-my-backyard’ (NIMBY) attitude to RES revealed that there was virtually no opposition to photovoltaics. Opinions regarding wind energy conversion systems (WECS) varied with type and location, with rooftop WECS receiving more acceptance than stand-alone varieties. A high level of visual acceptance was shown by respondents for onshore wind farms located close to a tourist accommodation centre, with less enthusiasm for offshore farms. A strong NIMBY attitude to WECS was not observed among Australian or local respondents.     

A transition toward a market expansion phase: Policies for promoting wind power in Taiwan

Considering the significant issues on global warming and environmental protection, the energy sector needs a long-term policy, by which renewable energies gradually replace conventional fossil fuels. In terms of an energy system, the development of renewable energies implies a challenge to existing energies like fossil fuels and nuclear power that have been for decades equipped with sound infrastructure and regulations. And a transformation of the energy system cannot expect any achievement without overcoming considerable opposition from vested interests involved with the fossil fuels technologies.     

A survey of tourist operator attitudes to renewable energy supply in Queensland, Australia

The results of a survey describing the attitude to renewable energy supply (RES) amongst tourism accommodation providers in Queensland, Australia, are presented. A 65% response rate was achieved. Results showed that 9.2% of respondents had some form of RES, and that the majority of operators were interested in RES but mixed in opinions as to its marketing value for their operation. Tourist operators believed their industry is resistant to RES implementation due to reservations regarding RES power supply limitations, reliability and economic viability. Possession of a RES by the respondent did not affect this attitude. Analysis of variation in response with geographical position revealed a coastal versus interior difference. Likewise, a breakdown of responses according to accommodation type indicated that accommodation size had a significant bearing on operator opinion. Higher proportions of respondents from large operations such as large hotels and self-catering accommodation returned affirmative responses regarding RES marketing capabilities and confidence in RES than the smaller operations, which included small hotels, stations and villas/cabins.     

Promoting biofuels: Implications for developing countries

Interest in biofuels is growing worldwide as concerns about the security of energy supply and climate change are moving into the focus of policy makers. With the exception of bioethanol from Brazil, however, production costs of biofuels are typically much higher than those of fossil fuels. As a result, promotion measures such as tax exemptions or blending quotas are indispensable for ascertaining substantial biofuel demand. With particular focus on developing countries, this paper discusses the economic justification of biofuel promotion instruments and investigates their implications. Based on data from India and Tanzania, we find that substantial biofuel usage induces significant financial costs. Furthermore, acreage availability is a binding natural limitation that could also lead to conflicts with food production. Yet, if carefully implemented under the appropriate conditions, biofuel programs might present opportunities for certain developing countries.     

Between fragmented authoritarianism and policy coordination: Creating a Chinese market for wind energy

The Chinese grid-connected wind energy sector has undergone a number of fundamental changes during its 20 years of existence. The scope of this article is to track the reforms of the energy bureaucracy and its policy approach on the one hand and changes in wind energy installations on the other. By comparing three historically distinct phases of wind energy in China it is shown how policy reforms have changed largely from a state of “fragmented authoritarianism” towards policy coordination. In the initial phase (1986–1993), wind energy was expanding very slowly with disjointed policy making and in the incremental phase (1994–1999), the energy authorities were in dispute over the strategy and launched conflicting policy initiatives with poor results in wind energy output. The latest coordinated phase (2000–2006), however, developed a coherent renewable energy agenda and policy regime for the wind power sector. It is found that this phase with coordinated market regulations and incentives has helped give birth to a take-off in Chinese wind energy installations and substantial cost reductions, although the latter is threatening the profitability of wind farms. The article contributes to the academic debate over the role of policy making in renewable energy development and argues that China should continue, and improve, the coordination of regulations and incentives.     

Owners of second homes,locals and their attitudes towards future rural wind farm

Wind power has been identified as one of the most promising sources of renewable energy. However, its diffusion has not been as rapid as anticipated. The objective here is to analyse attitudes towards wind power among Finnish local residents and owners of second homes. First, we assess their existing knowledge of and level of interest in energy issues and wind power. Second, we analyse potential differences in attitudes between the two stakeholder groups when it comes to wind power in general and the proposed wind farm in particular. The study draws on both quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data. One of the key findings concerns the different perceptions among locals and owners of second homes in a rural area. Both groups were interested in questions of energy production and accepted wind power in general. Nevertheless, the proposed project in Ruokolahti seemed to polarize attitudes. This paper offers new insights into attitudes to wind energy among Finnish locals and owners of second homes in the same area.     

A decision support system for strategic maintenance planning in offshore wind farms

This paper presents a Decision Support System (DSS) for maintenance cost optimisation at an Offshore Wind Farm (OWF). The DSS is designed for use by multiple stakeholders in the OWF sector with the overall goal of informing maintenance strategy and hence reducing overall lifecycle maintenance costs at the OWF. Two optimisation models underpin the DSS. The first is a deterministic model that is intended for use by stakeholders with access to accurate failure rate data. The second is a stochastic model that is intended for use by stakeholders who have less certainty about failure rates. Solutions of both models are presented using a UK OWF that is in construction as an example. Conclusions as to the value of failure rate data are drawn by comparing the results of the two models. Sensitivity analysis is undertaken with respect to the turbine failure rate frequency and number of turbines at the site, with near linear trends observed for both factors. Finally, overall conclusions are drawn in the context of maintenance planning in the OWF sector.     

Renewable energy planning for India in 21st century

Energy is a vital input for economic and social development of any country. With increasing industrial and agricultural activities in the country, the demand for energy is also rising. Solar, wind and biomass are accepted as dependable and widely available renewable sources of energy. Development of an energy model will help in the proper allocation of these renewables in meeting the future demand of energy in India. The present work deals with the development of an Optimal Renewable Energy Model (OREM) for the effective utilisation of renewable energy sources in India for the year-2020-21. The objective of the Optimal Renewable Energy Model (OREM) was minimising cost/efficiency ratio based on social acceptance, reliability, demand and potential constraints. The OREM model allocated renewable energy sources for different end-uses such as lighting, cooking, pumping, heating, cooling and transportation for the year 2020-21.     

Global wind power development: Economics and policies

Existing literature indicates that theoretically, the earth's wind energy supply potential significantly exceeds global energy demand. Yet, only 2–3% of global electricity demand is currently derived from wind power despite 27% annual growth in wind generating capacity over the last 17 years. More than 95% of total current wind power capacity is installed in the developed countries plus China and India. Our analysis shows that the economic competitiveness of wind power varies at wider range across countries or locations. A climate change damage cost of US$20/tCO₂ imposed to fossil fuels would make onshore wind competitive to all fossil fuels for power generation; however, the same would not happen to offshore wind, with few exceptions, even if the damage cost is increased to US$100/tCO₂. To overcome a large number of technical, financial, institutional, market and other barriers to wind power, many countries have employed various policy instruments, including capital subsidies, tax incentives, tradable energy certificates, feed-in tariffs, grid access guarantees and mandatory standards. Besides, climate change mitigation policies, such as the Clean Development Mechanism, have played a pivotal role in promoting wind power. Despite these policies, intermittency, the main technical constraint, could remain as the major challenge to the future growth of wind power.