Posters
Come meet the poster presenters to ask them questions and discuss their work
We would like to invite you to come and see the posters at our upcoming conference. The posters will showcase a diverse range of research topics, and will give delegates an opportunity to engage with the authors and learn more about their work. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or simply curious about the latest developments in your field, we believe that the posters will offer something of interest to everyone. So please join us at the conference and take advantage of this opportunity to learn and engage with your peers in industry and the academic community.
PO057: Mental models of perceived wind energy impacts
Leanda Vedder, PhD Candidate, Utrecht University
Abstract
Achieving climate protection and sustainable development objectives necessitates a substantial acceleration of the expansion of wind power. Wind energy, however, is highly controversial due to the multiplicity of ecological, economic, and technical challenges that raise public concerns. Resistance to wind energy is often based on expectations of the future impact of wind power. Ample research has been conducted to understand public acceptance of renewable energy, investigating social psychological measures such as attitudes, values and place attachment. Yet no research has employed a mental model approach to map the expectations of the causal impacts to investigate public acceptance of renewable energy. A mental model approach goes beyond traditional measures of attitudes by exploring the cognitive frameworks people hold on the processes of the causal impacts that result from wind energy deployment. We examine the perception of wind energy impacts and their causal relationships among people in Austria, Italy, Portugal and Norway. From September 2024 to May 2025, we collected N=226 mental models through stakeholder workshops utilising a standardised modelling tool. Beyond that, renewable energy experts (N=70) from academia participated in the study. Using network analysis, we inspect the content and complexity of these models to assess regional differences and identify key impacts of wind energy. We found shared considerations of impacts such as visual landscape change, however, other impacts related to the local context were used more often and received stronger connections. This research offers comprehensive insights into stakeholders' systems thinking regarding wind power deployment and provides a more holistic understanding of people’s causal beliefs about wind energy impacts, which is crucial for understanding opposition and acceptance.
No recording available for this poster.
