To meet the climate targets the Netherlands needs to decarbonise the residential sector. This requires that a large number of distributed actors (households, VVEs, housing corporations, citizen collectives) invest in clean energy technologies rapidly and at scale. Yet, citizens and collectives often face high information, coordination and transaction costs, which delays investments. Policymakers face the challenge of steering this complex process, in which a myriad of distributed investments jointly determine overall energy system efficiency and total decarbonisation cost. To ensure a rapid and smooth transition, in which energy remains reliable and affordable, smart decision support for citizens and policymakers is key. Amongst others, citizens need tailored information matching their personal situation, preferences and behavioural biases. For collective solutions like local heat grids citizen engagement and participation are essential to create acceptance and trust.
In this 4-year project, the interdisciplinary consortium will work towards solutions to accelerate the energy transition in the residential sector by integrating theories and models from the social sciences (economics, psychology, transaction cost theory, political sciences), humanities, technical sciences (computer science, energy systems modelling), as well as stakeholder knowledge. This integration will advance the representation of the human factor in energy system models. The consortium’s iterative approach includes (1) mapping citizens’ preferences and investment barriers in a transdisciplinary manner; (2) modelling the impact of distributed investments on overall energy system efficiency; (3) developing an adaptive digital decision-support system for citizens and policymakers that simultaneously optimises investments at the individual and energy system level in a bottom up, data-driven approach, and offers customized information and planning to its users; and (4) co-creating and systematically field-testing tailored behavioural interventions (information, nudges) to stimulate individual and collective investment, combined with participation mechanisms to facilitate collective solutions; complemented by novel online and offline citizen engagement strategies based on positive psychology.
