To support or oppose renewable energy projects? A systematic literature review on the factors influencing landscape design and social acceptance

The local implementation of renewable energy projects often faces opposition. The landscape transformation that comes with the transition to renewables is one of the key counter-arguments of local stakeholders. In this article, we examine the relation between research on ‘designing landscape transfo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy research & social science Vol. 91; p. 102740
Main Authors: Enserink, Merel, Van Etteger, Rudi, Van den Brink, Adri, Stremke, Sven
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2022
Subjects:
Energy landscape
Energy planning
Energy transition
Inclusive design processes
Local acceptance
Inclusive design processes
Local acceptance
Energy landscape
Energy transition
Energy planning
ISSN:2214-6296, 2214-6326
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The local implementation of renewable energy projects often faces opposition. The landscape transformation that comes with the transition to renewables is one of the key counter-arguments of local stakeholders. In this article, we examine the relation between research on ‘designing landscape transformations’ and ‘acceptance of renewable energy projects’; whether and how these bodies of knowledge may complement each other. The systematic literature review revealed that acceptance studies and landscape design studies describe 25 similar factors that influence acceptance. The majority of these factors are somewhat general in nature, such as economic benefits, visual impact, and aesthetics. Additionally, we found 45 unique factors in acceptance studies and sixteen unique factors in landscape design studies. Furthermore, we found differences in distribution of factors when categorizing and comparing them by means of two conceptual frameworks. Moreover, the emphasis in peer-reviewed literature differs significantly from laypersons, which is challenging the current research agenda on landscape transformation and acceptance of renewable energy. The findings and the knowledge lacunas provide clear avenues for a shared research agenda. Future research needs to examine the influence of involving landscape designers on the acceptance of renewable energy projects and the effects of more inclusive design processes on factors such as trust. •Acceptance studies and landscape design studies mention 25 similar factors that influence acceptance of renewable energy.•Acceptance studies on renewable energy mention 45 unique factors; landscape design studies list sixteen unique factors.•The research agenda is challenged by the difference in factors emphasized in peer-reviewed literature and by laypersons.•Future research should study the influence of involving landscape designers on the acceptance of renewable energy projects.
ISSN:2214-6296
2214-6326
DOI:10.1016/j.erss.2022.102740