Pathways towards the nuclear revival in Finland, France, and the UK

Nuclear power is undergoing a revival in a number of countries of both developed and developing world, and is increasingly presented as a solution to the problems of climate change and energy security. This paper analyses the history of and the debates on nuclear power in France, the UK and Finland, all of which are in the process of either planning or building new nuclear plants. The paper traces the history of nuclear power since the early post-War years, distinguishing five distinct phases of development, from the early period of nuclear enthusiasm, through the emergence of doubt and risk in the 70s and 80s, to the recent 'nuclear renaissance'. Emphasis in the analysis is placed on issue framings, argumentative strategies, the role of independent expertise, public opinion and the degree of openness of decision-making. Key similarities, converging trends and differences between the countries are identified and tentative conclusions drawn on the potential stability of the current framing of nuclear energy as a response to the double challenge of climate change and energy security

Affecting consumer behaviour on energy demand

This report provides a review of the literature on household energy consuming behaviours and how those behaviours can best be influenced with the goal of reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). The research also examines whether and how measures to encourage behavioural change can be included within future phases of the UK's Energy Efficiency Commitment and related policies

Developing community energy projects: experiences from Finland and the UK

Community energy has drawn interest from the general public, policy makers and researchers in the UK over the last few years. Community energy projects, such as energy saving measures and renewable energy projects, are usually organised by civil society groups rather than commercial businesses. This DPhil research approaches community energy as local grassroots innovation and compares its development in two different countries, Finland and the UK. Key research question is: Why and how do community energy projects develop and how do they contribute to niche development? The thesis uses Sustainability Transitions studies literature, especially literature on Strategic Niche Management (SNM), as a theoretical framing, and empirical in-depth analysis of four community energy projects, two in the UK and two in Finland. The research examines how community energy projects develop in ‘niches’. Research findings highlight that motivations for projects include monetary savings, energy savings and climate change. Projects are developed by pre-existing community groups or groups that have come together to develop an energy project. Local embedding of community energy projects to each project’s individual circumstances helps successful project delivery. Pre-existing skills and tacit knowledge such as the ability to seek information and fill in funding applications can aid success. Engagement with key stakeholders further shapes projects’ aims and objectives. Community energy projects benefit from a clear leader who works with a supportive team. There is evidence of projects networking at the local and national level in the UK, while in Finland networking remains limited to the local area and projects often develop in isolation. Furthermore, there is a clear lack of active intermediary organisations in the Finnish context. Policy discourse at the government level can aid the attractiveness of community energy, while continued funding support encourages more people to get involved in projects in their local areas

Dynamics of policy change and intermediation: the arduous transition towards low-energy homes in the United Kingdom

The transition towards low-energy buildings in the United Kingdom is challenging. Several policy changes have affected the actions and agency of actors. Drawing on the sustainability transitions literature, we analyse the development of the low-energy homes niche, focusing on the dynamics between intermediary organisations and policy development for low-energy homes. Based on rich interview and secondary data, we note how the existence and activities of transition intermediaries are enabled or curtailed by policy changes. We identify niche development phases along with the position and activities of intermediary organisations. In the predevelopment phase, non-state transition intermediaries have formed when government policy has been weak or market-based. During take-off, targeted policy initiatives have created protective spaces and stimulated the emergence of new intermediaries aiming to consolidate the niche. State-affiliated intermediaries have been established as part of active energy efficiency policy, but later ceased to exist or became privatised. Existing organisations have adopted intermediary functions to advance low-energy homes in response to policy. Furthermore, intermediaries have on occasion influenced policy development, often through cooperation among an ecology of intermediaries. In conclusion, we raise questions regarding intermediaries in the changing governance context

Creating innovative zero carbon homes in the United Kingdom – intermediaries and champions in building projects

A transition to zero carbon buildings is needed for mitigating climate change. Yet, it is far from gaining sufficient momentum in many countries, particularly the United Kingdom. This article focuses on actors and platforms facilitating change towards zero carbon residential buildings by integrating the concepts of innovation intermediaries and champions. Drawing on interview data and building on the literatures of innovation intermediaries, champions and Strategic Niche Management, the article analyses actor configurations in three new build housing projects. The findings show that actors and platforms acting as innovation intermediaries advance zero carbon buildings at different stages of project development, with varying intensity, influence and longevity. Some intermediaries take also championing roles, while also other actors champion projects when intermediation is absent. At a time of limited policy support for zero carbon housing innovations, intermediation and championing activities become especially important in the transition towards zero carbon buildings

Role of knowledge and policies as drivers for low-energy housing: case studies from the United Kingdom

Addressing housing-related energy consumption and emissions is a challenge in many countries. Low-energy housing, e.g. whole house retrofits and zero-energy new houses, is still rare in the United Kingdom, yet very much required to reduce emissions. This paper contributes to research on low-energy housing by adding new empirical material through analysing how specific drivers linked to knowledge, public policy and intermediary actors can influence successful projects. Based on in-depth case study research of both existing and new built low- energy housing projects in Brighton, United Kingdom (UK), we show that in addition to motivations to improve existing housing conditions, knowledge and available skills of householders and project participants, and both local and national policies, drive such projects. We also find that intermediaries inspire projects, connect different actors and facilitate learning between projects. Intermediaries are important for advancing projects through local actors and knowledge-networks, especially at a time when national policy support for low-energy housing remains limited and a wider transition to low-energy housing is not complete

Intermediation in a low energy building project: a case of One Brighton housing development

Many experimental local projects have been carried out in low energy buildings that integrate a range of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and solutions. These have been important in showing how low energy building can be carried out and stimulating future expectations on energy demand reduction through buildings. However, a key question remains as to how we can spread these experiments to other localities and, importantly, into commercial applications, and who are important actors in these processes. This paper presents an in-depth case study of One Brighton, a new build housing development in England offering 172 apartments and a community space, constructed during 2007–2010. One Brighton was developed with an objective of creating a residential building complex that enables sustainable, healthy and happy lifestyles. It in many ways stems from Bioregional – an environmental charity, social enterprise and an intermediary organisation championing more sustainable ways of living – and its pioneering BedZed housing development in London. However, also other intermediary actors were needed to initiate and pull through this innovative low energy building project. Triangulation of data sources including interviews, attendance in an on-site learning tour, and written material were used to construct the in-depth case. Through a detailed analysis of this case, the paper shows (1) the role of a key intermediary actor in advancing systemic innovation in low energy housing beyond its initial experimental stage, and (2) how an ecology of intermediaries and champions advanced energy efficiency and sustainability during different phases of a building project. Intermediation in this case was crucial, taking different forms by different actors and at different periods. For policymakers this highlights the need to support the existence and activities of such intermediaries

'The fuel bill drop shop': an investigation into community action on fuel poverty

Final report to Chesshire Lehmann Fund

‘Pro-savers’: the role of community in energy demand reduction

Community energy provides a space for end-users and inter- est groups to engage with energy consumption and production at the grassroots level. Often emerging out of community-led renewable energy projects, community initiatives have the ca- pacity to address issues such as rising energy prices, fuel pov- erty and the desire of independence from incumbent energy utilities. The publication of the Community Energy Strategy in January 2014 in particular marks the first attempt to insti- tutionalise community energy within the UK energy system. Using localised and tacit knowledge, community energy groups can be ideally placed to deal with energy consumption at the point of demand. This opens up opportunities for consumers to engage not only in energy generation but increasingly also in energy demand-management, thus moving from consumption over ‘prosumption’ to ‘pro-saving’. Our three case studies pro- vide an overview of three community energy approaches that exhibit the emergence of ‘prosumption’ and the shift towards ‘pro-saving’, a concept which includes the notion of demand reduction as well as the development of innovative approaches combining distributed energy with demand reduction and de- mand side response. The paper draws these examples together in order to provide an outlook for increasingly decentralised energy generation and demand-management practices along with some concrete policy recommendations