Technical Concepts for the Transition of the Energy System into a Smart, Sustainable and Renewable Energy System in the TRACER Target Regions

This report shows a status on the current energy generation technologies using coal as feedstock for each TRACER target region. This includes the analysis of the coal driven power plants, CHP plants, as well as the use of coal for small applications, e.g. space heating. The investigations include the used technologies, age of the installations, efficiency, emissions, capacities and economies. Furthermore, the current status of other energy generation technologies in the target regions, based on gas, oil and renewable energies is analysed. This report will determine the level of the energy transition from a fossil-based economy towards an emission-free economy. Thereby, the technological challenges and opportunities will be identified, e.g. the technical integration of decentralised renewable energy technologies in the existing infrastructure (e.g. district heating, power grid). Another challenge may include the potential use of post-mining land for renewable energy installations, like PV or biomass production. Opportunities include all aspects related to the carbon-free and renewable technologies that could allow more participation of the public in the sector and having a large positive social impact. The final outcome of this report is a technical transition concept for each TRACER target region, that includes proposals for the stepwise technical energy transition towards an efficient emission-free energy sector, using renewable energy technologies, such as solar, wind, hydropower or biomass

Report on Social Challenges and Re-skilling Needs of the Workforce Solutions in the TRACER Target Regions

Over time, mankind has understood that change is always present in all areas of its life - from the internal environment of each person, to the external environment, and up to the macrocosmic level. What shocks, lately, are the dynamics / speed, complexity and magnitude of change; „Change that involves people is a transition according to Bridges, and people are the essence of any process of change.” (Mergner, Janssen, Mandic Lukic, 2020, p.10). The year 2020, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken humanity "by surprise and unprepared" and which will cause a major transition on all levels of human life, will symbolize the "year of restart" or the beginning of a global reengineering process. Thus, in the complex issue of the transition from carbon-intensive areas in the context of the TRACER project appeared this new component - not negligible, which influences all forecasts, models and scenarios on social challenges and future skills needs of the TRACER target regions. The latest COVID-19 crisis has shaken many “certainties” we have had about labour market needs, job requirements and work environment. Many employers have faced decisions on human resources practices, such as: the opportunity to use remote teams; the replacement of formal meetings with various review substitutes; the empowerment of employees to exercise self-reflection in order to align their assignments to the new work constraints etc. One of the effects of this new context is that it has challenged organisational common places and routines, some of which have proven no longer useful, if in the nature of the case the organisation cannot any longer comply with one-on-one and face-toface interaction. While deprived of physical presence of teams and immediate managerial control, contemporary societies have shown the radical constructivist characteristics of some of their settings. In mining regions facing structural transitions one of the challenges to re-skilling is given by the relentless lingering of local actors to old ways of “doing things” (from managing communities to identifying labour market opportunities and needs). Maybe for such a time as this the various stakeholders of mining regions should show more versatility to innovative proposals that might have been out of sight a decade ago

Energy efficiency and using less – a social sciences and humanities annotated bibliography

The challenge: * Technological progress and changes in energy supply are not sufficient for a transition to a low-carbon energy system; demand also needs to be considered. Energy efficiency and reducing total consumption - the topics of this bibliography - are typical elements of a demand side approach. * The uptake of energy efficient technologies, and understanding how we might use less energy, represent big challenges for researchers, policymakers, practitioners and end-users themselves. The aim: * European energy policy has so far mainly relied on research from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Energy-related Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) have been significantly underrepresented. This bibliography aims to discuss different disciplinary perspectives on energy efficiency and using less and to demonstrate their relevance for energy policy. Coverage: * A major focus of this bibliography is on behaviour and behavioural change. The bibliography highlights the diversity of end-users and their needs, the impacts they experience, abilities, as well as the range of sites where energy is consumed. * It also looks at how SSH research addresses more structural elements of demand - such as markets, institutions, and policy - and how these interact. Key findings: * There is no such thing as a one size fits all approach; different disciplines frame the problems of energy efficiency and using less differently, and do not always agree. Economics is very highly represented in research about energy efficiency, closely followed by Sociology. Other disciplines such as Urban Studies and Industrial Design are slowly becoming part of the work. * Most disciplines focus mainly on mainstream types of users and use. Fewer studies focus on the exceptions - deviants, others, non-users or energy poor, excessive users - or low-energy practices such as sleep, music making or sports. * Electricity is the main focus of most social science research on energy use and efficiency, possibly due to a focus on monitoring savings which is more difficult for gas and energy for hot water use. * There is an overrepresentation of work on feedback devices and smart meters, in contrast to more everyday technologies such as water heaters or washing machines. Several studies urge for more study of this everyday material culture because it strongly shapes how users can engage in using less or using more efficiently; some technologies are simply built to have high energy use. * Less research is done on the responsibility of stakeholders (other than the end-user) for the energy transition, especially the market. It is argued that markets are not neutral or depoliticised, but bear responsibility for the energy transition too. * Dominant areas of research include: a focus on the gap between awareness and actual energy behaviour action; and rebound effects, which may arise when increased energy efficiency leads to lower costs for energy which in turn may lead to increased energy consumption. * New areas of research include new demand side initiatives, services/business models and markets such as peer-to-peer, DIY, and community approaches to engagement. * Most demand side approaches in the policy domain focus on cost reduction, education and communication. Insights from Social Sciences such as Sociology, Anthropology, Urban studies, Ethics, and Science and Technology Studies see less uptake in the policy domain

Smart strategies for the transition in coal intensive regions

The TRACER project supports a number of coal-intensive regions around Europe to design (or re-design) their Research and Innovation (R&I) strategies in order to facilitate their transition towards a sustainable energy system. The TRACER consortium consists of different target regions: South East Bulgaria, North West Bohemia - Czech Republic, Lusatian Lignite District - Germany, Western Macedonia - Greece, Upper Silesian Coalfield - Poland, West Region, Jiu Valley - Romania, Wales – UK, Kolubara - Serbia, Donetsk - Ukraine. Core activities of TRACER include the implementation of an EDP (Entrepreneurial Discovery Process) to mobilise a wide range of stakeholders in each target region to develop an appropriate governance structure and to bring regional stakeholders together to discuss and agree on a shared vision and priorities for coal transition. R&I strategies, industrial roadmaps and decision support tools will be developed jointly with key stakeholders of the TRACER target regions. Further TRACER activities include the identification and analysis of best practice examples of successful and ambitious transition processes in coal intensive regions, a detailed assessment of social, environmental and technological challenges, the elaboration of guidelines on how to mobilise investment as well as dedicated activities to stimulate R&I cooperation among coal intensive regions in Europe and beyond