Acceptance of wind energy plants -

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Acceptance of wind energy plants -
A psychological approach towards the acceptance
of wind energy plants

• Jan Zoellner
• Department of Psychology
• Research Group Environmental Psychology
• Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg

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Public acceptance of renewable energy systems
and socioscientific questions

• Research project promoted by the Federal Ministry
  for
• the Environment, Nature Conversation and Nuclear
• Safety (BMU) concerning the social issues of
  power
• generation by
• Wind energy utilisation (On-Shore)
• PV solar energy utilisation (ground-installed
  systems)
• Biomass utilisation

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Research aims

• Detailed understanding of actual degrees of
  acceptance and their determinants
• Systematisation of relevant influence factors to
  the formation process of public acceptance
• Regarding possible differences between different
  regions in perception and evaluation
• Developing a standardised questionnaire
• Outlining of recommendations of possible conflict
  solution strategies

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Method

• Multi-methodological approach
• Different regions, case studies
• Expert interviews, process analysis
• Quantitative polls
• Action research

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Method

• Research in literature and other media
• Consideration the main arguments in wind turbines
  based conflicts
• Systematisation of conflict contents and building
  up links to basic psychological research and
  theories

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Main Arguments in Current Wind Debates (pros)

• Reduction of CO2 emissions
• use of clean energy
• independence from fossil fuels and nuclear energy
• creation of new jobs
• increasing export profits
• becoming technological market leader in this
  branch

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Main Arguments in Current Wind Debates (cons)

• negative impacts on the natural scenery
• potential risks for nature (e.g. for the
  avifauna)
• negative economical balance, electricity would
  become more expensive
• risks caused by less reliability for the power
  grid and energy supply
• negative impacts on the quality of life for
  residents

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Acceptance of wind energy possible influencing
variables


Justice (procedural distributive)
Reliability
Influence of Media
Socio-economic data

Risk Evaluation
Economic Aspects
Visual contact

Energy Consciousness
Acceptance of wind energy
Interest
Need for Nature
Impacts on the affective system
Environmental Consciousness
Behaviour (conativ)
Landscape Evaluation (cognitive)
Perception of political measures
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Conflicting interests

• Wind energy as a topic of actual socio-political
  relevance
• Strong promotion by Federal Government
• Public polls show a support of wind energy in
  principle
• On local levels citizens initiatives formed up

global aims
c o n f l i c t
local needs
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Social Psychological Approaches

• Attitude research
• Three-component models (e.g. Rosenberg Hovland,
  1960)
• Social Justice Theory
• Distributive and procedural justice (e.g. Adams,
  1965 Tyler, 1980, Leventhal, 1980)
• Risk evaluation
• Perception and disposition (e.g. Günther, 1998)
• Influence of the media
• Agenda-setting theory (e.g. McCombs Shaw, 1972)

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Environmental Psychological Approaches

• Human-Environment-Interaction
• Transactionalistic approach (e.g. Ittelson, 1974)
• Perception of natural scenery
• Aesthetical needs (e.g. Hellbrück, 1999)
• Local Identity
• Mental representations of homeland (e.g. Haubl,
  1998)
• Environmental awareness
• Sensibility for changes in climate (e.g.
  Kuckartz, 1998)

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Questionnaire construction

• Based on the theoretical background
• Developing several quantitative scales for
  measuring relevant aspects, five-step answer
  structure
• Conative Items concrete behaviour and behaviour
  intention
• Choice of interesting regions for contrasting
  scientific research concerning the wind energy
  utilisation
• Open questions to get qualitative data

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Sample Items 1
Energy related topics are counted among the
biggest problems in our society. To guarantee
energy generation in future, the use of renewable
energies is mandatory.   In the long run, wind
energy plants are financially favourable
electricity generators. Because of wind energy,
electricity will become more expensive.     There
are too many wind energy plants already. Wind
energy plants disfigure the landscape.  
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Sample Items 2
My quality of life is restricted because of wind
energy plants. I feel constricted because of the
sight of wind energy plants.   Local authorities
conduct the planning of wind energy plants in an
fair manner. I would like to have a bigger say
in the planning procedures.  I am financially
involved in a wind energy plant project. I
support demonstrations against wind energy
plants. I try to persuade my friends to the
benefits of wind energy.
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I support wind energy as a matter of principle
Statement is...
..entirely incorrect
9,3
..entirely correct
..rather incorrect
9,3
29,2
15,1
..I am undecided
67,3
37,1
..partially correct
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Results 1aCorrelation of the scales
scale acceptance
economy .71
affective impacts -.65
natural scenery .55
reliability -.42
. Correlation is on the level of 0.01
(2-tailed) significant ( Pearson) .
Correlation is on the level of 0.05 (2-tailed)
significant ( Pearson)
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Results 1bCorrelation of the scales
scale acceptance
risks -.36
justice .35
clima. awareness .31
envir. awareness .16
. Correlation is on the level of 0.01
(2-tailed) significant ( Pearson) .
Correlation is on the level of 0.05 (2-tailed)
significant ( Pearson)
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Results 2aMean differences between the counties
scale T df sig. (2-tailed)
climate awareness -3,01 289 ,00
environ. awareness 1,64 289 ,10
natural scenery 4,24 289 ,00
impacts affective -1,97 289 ,05
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Results 2bMean differences between the counties
scale T df sig. (2-tailed)
economy 4,48 289 ,00
reliability -2,63 289 ,01
risks ,71 289 ,47
justice 1,49 289 ,13
acceptance 2,93 289 ,00
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Perception of political measures

• Based on qualitative and quantitave data
• General attitude towards politics
• Media reports
• On global and local level
• Low degree of information
• Low degree of knowledge
• Diffuse/unclear imaginations about the topic and
  the involved actors, laws etc

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Perception of political measures

• Connection between global and local level through
  corresponding actors
• Perceived justice during the implementation
  process (local authorities)
• Presentation of operating companies on site
• Association between the object RES and
  politics image, trust
• Impact on overall evaluation support/rejection

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Perception of political measures

• residents criticise that their interests are not
  represented by local politicians, particularly
  when compared to economic interests
• concerning the assumed motivation of wind energy
  plants operators, profit seeking and economic
  interests were named instead of environmental
  ambitions
• politicians and operators are condemned as
  untrustworthy and considered "a coalition of the
  mighty
• More "correct" and objective information from an
  independent institution is requested

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Local authorithies conduct the planning of wind
energy plants in a fair manner.

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Conflicts in the planning stage are solved to
the satisfaction of all.

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In the planning and implementation stages, all
interests of citizens are taken into account.

66,3
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I would like to have a bigger say in the
planning procedures.
64

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I would like more information by the media
65

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Discussion

• Importance of justice in context of wind energy
  in general could be shown
• Distributive as well as procedural justice are
  relevant parameters
• Information as a first step or basic level of
  justice and participation
• Role of broad and accurate information on local
  level in early stages of planning processes

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Discussion

• Social processes are important factors to the
  formation of public acceptance
• Emphasising of regarding the social framework in
  which wind energy is embedded (residents want to
  have a say)
• Incentives or compensations (financial or
  concerning the landscape) might improve
  distributive justice
• Individuals as well as regions should benefit
  from wind energy