4 F. FAHY AND G. GoGGINS
and interdisciplinary energy research that covers both social and material
aspects of energy use.
In particular, ENERGISE investigates the energy-related practices of
households and communities and their impacts on society and the environment. This is achieved through a living lab approach, where researchers
work with households in a real-world setting and in the context within
which their energy use takes place. ENERGISE Living Labs (ELLs)
build on interactions between various stakeholders as well as lessons
drawn from previous initiatives aimed at reducing household energy use,
or what we term sustainable energy consumption initiatives (SECIs).
In ENERGISE, SECIs are defined as activities that deal with reducing
energy-related Co 2 emissions from households, and enables active participation from households. This can either be in terms of (1) reducing
the actual energy consumption, (2) reducing the emissions intensity
of energy consumption (e.g. by substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy sources). Sustainable energy initiatives are considered to be
socio-technical because they attempt to change the material arrangements and the cultures, norms and conventions that determine collective
energy use and related impacts. Examples of good practice SECIs that
have informed the design and implementation of ELLs are provided for
each of the central chapters in the book. The results of the ELLs themselves are presented elsewhere.
remit of the book
The following chapter will introduce the concept of ‘problem framings’
related to the way energy consumption challenges are understood and
the impact for the type of solutions that emerge. Based on the review of
SECIs already carried out across Europe as part of the ENERGISE project, it is evident that many different perspectives on sustainable energy
use exist and problems are addressed in a number of different ways.
Energy use is typically interpreted as a matter of individual choices
and preferences that can be changed independently of the context within
which consumption occurs, and often through technological optimisation or incremental behaviour change. This approach, however, often
fails to translate into significant changes in energy consumption patterns
and energy demands. In contrast, other more integrated approaches treat
energy consumption challenges as a matter of wider societal, cultural and
and interdisciplinary energy research that covers both social and material
aspects of energy use.
In particular, ENERGISE investigates the energy-related practices of
households and communities and their impacts on society and the environment. This is achieved through a living lab approach, where researchers
work with households in a real-world setting and in the context within
which their energy use takes place. ENERGISE Living Labs (ELLs)
build on interactions between various stakeholders as well as lessons
drawn from previous initiatives aimed at reducing household energy use,
or what we term sustainable energy consumption initiatives (SECIs).
In ENERGISE, SECIs are defined as activities that deal with reducing
energy-related Co 2 emissions from households, and enables active participation from households. This can either be in terms of (1) reducing
the actual energy consumption, (2) reducing the emissions intensity
of energy consumption (e.g. by substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy sources). Sustainable energy initiatives are considered to be
socio-technical because they attempt to change the material arrangements and the cultures, norms and conventions that determine collective
energy use and related impacts. Examples of good practice SECIs that
have informed the design and implementation of ELLs are provided for
each of the central chapters in the book. The results of the ELLs themselves are presented elsewhere.
remit of the book
The following chapter will introduce the concept of ‘problem framings’
related to the way energy consumption challenges are understood and
the impact for the type of solutions that emerge. Based on the review of
SECIs already carried out across Europe as part of the ENERGISE project, it is evident that many different perspectives on sustainable energy
use exist and problems are addressed in a number of different ways.
Energy use is typically interpreted as a matter of individual choices
and preferences that can be changed independently of the context within
which consumption occurs, and often through technological optimisation or incremental behaviour change. This approach, however, often
fails to translate into significant changes in energy consumption patterns
and energy demands. In contrast, other more integrated approaches treat
energy consumption challenges as a matter of wider societal, cultural and