Actors and Acceptance in the Energy System

In this Business Unit, we research the social aspects of the energy transition. We analyze the attitudes, decisions and actions of people in the transformation of the energy system.

We look at people not only as citizens, but also as political, economic and social actors with diverse roles - for instance, as decision-makers, process designers or investors. We are interested in how people, groups, organizations and institutions interact and how to shape these interactions so that they contribute to a transformation of the energy system.

We work on aspects that are relevant to acceptance and the following questions:

• How do people participate in the transformation of the energy system? And why don’t they?
• How are energy technologies and policies and their effects perceived, and what influences this perception?
• What role do fairness, vulnerability, the degree to which they are personally affected and political participation play in changing people’s behavior and their acceptance of energy policy measures?
• What influence does competition between different technologies have on the acceptance of innovations in the energy system?
• How do socio-technical structures affect a person’s individual scope for action?
• How much do capacities for action and the willingness to change affect the energy system?

The topics we deal with include sustainable lifestyles and sufficiency, processes of change in industry, new business models and tariff structures, and the emergence, perception and impact of climate policies on areas such as mobility, heating and housing. We look at innovations in the research fields of electric mobility, alternative fuels, heat pumps, carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), and green hydrogen. We examine innovation and transformation dynamics in terms of the interactions between actors and the interactions within socio-technical systems. We apply a wide range of empirical social science methods and work as an interdisciplinary team with a systemic perspective. 

The Business Unit is headed by  Dr. Sabine Preuß.