The value of mixed method content analysis for understanding renewable energy deployment and policy outcomes

Transitioning to renewable energy has become a global phenomenon. Attempts to explain development patterns are often fragmented, focusing on specific rationale for (un)successful deployment or the perspective of specific stakeholders. We recognize the importance for holistic insights for successful and effective environmental policy-making and planning in the context of renewable energy development. Using wind energy as an example, this paper provides methodological toolkits for utilizing content analysis (CA) to gain more holistic insights on renewable energy deployment and policy outcomes. Building on existing literature, past and ongoing research, three variations of CA are presented for understanding stakeholder conflicts surrounding wind energy development as well as public perceptions and responses to the technology across space and over time. Although newspapers are used as an example, these methodological protocols could be applied to diverse forms of data such as interviews, policy documents, reports, public meetings and letters of appeal.     

德国可再生能源政策与沼气工程简介

本文介绍了德国可再生能源政策,政策对沼气、光伏太阳能及风力发电行业的影响,沼气工程技术现状。德国的经验表明,政策激励是农场沼气工程发展的主要动力。     

Large-scale baseload wind power in China

This paper presents a novel strategy for developing wind power in large-scale (multi-GW) wind farms in China. It involves combining oversized wind farms, large-scale electrical storage and long-distance transmission lines to deliver 'baseload wind power' to distant electricity demand centers. Baseload wind power is typically more valuable to the electric utility than intermittent wind power, so that storage can be economically attractive even in instances where the cost per kWh is somewhat higher than without storage.
The prospective costs for this approach to developing wind power are illustrated by modifying an oversized wind farm at Huitengxile, Inner Mongolia. The site has an average power density of 580 W/m² at 50 m hub heights and is located 500 km north of Beijing. Using locally mass-produced wind turbines there are good prospects that wind power would be cost-competitive with coal power, on a lifecycle cost basis, while providing substantial net environmental benefits.
Finally, the institutional challenges related to the prospect of large-scale wind energy development are addressed. Especially important are policies aimed at developing the capacity for mass production of as much of this technology in China as is feasible. Promising instruments for speeding up the introduction of this technology include: (i) international joint ventures between foreign vendors and developers and Chinese manufacturers; and (ii) wind resource development concessions.     

Wind power planning in three Swedish municipalities

The aim of the paper is to compare the planning for wind power in three municipalities and analyze how it has influenced three important aspects of the wind power development: the siting of turbines, the ownership of turbines and citizen participation. The paper shows that the planning strategies of the municipalities differed considerably and that this in turn has led to differences in the development of wind power. A general conclusion is that there seems to be a dilemma in municipal planning between, on the one hand, the promotion of wind power and, on the other hand, the organization of a planning that effectively regulates the siting of turbines and allows for citizen participation. The results show that there is a need to support and strengthen municipal planning capacities, and efforts in that direction are being undertaken by state and regional authorities in Sweden. The results, however, also imply the need for stronger policy measures in order to avoid large differences between the way wind power is handled at the municipal level.     

Climate Convention Implementation: An Opportunity for the Pacific Island Nations to Move Toward Sustainable Energy Systems

This article does not focus on adaptation or mitigation policy directly but on an allied opportunity that exists for the Pacific Islands via the auspices of the Climate Convention, because the existing very costly energy systems used in the Pacific Island region are fossil-fuel dependent. It is argued here that efforts can be made towards the development of energy systems that are ecologically sustainable because Pacific Island nations are eligible to receive assistance to introduce renewable energy technology and pursue energy conservation via implementation mechanisms of the Climate Convention and, in particular, through transfer of technology and via joint implementation. It is contended that assistance in the form of finance, technology, and human resource development from developed countries and international organizations would provide sustainable benefits in improving the local Pacific Island environments. It is also emphasized that mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is not the responsibility of the Pacific Islands as they contribute very little on a per capita global scale and a tiny proportion of total global greenhouse gas emissions.     

Coherence between marine and land use planning: public attitudes to landscapes in the context of siting a wind park along the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea

The aim of this paper is to contribute to coherence in marine, coastal and land use planning and management from the perspective of landscape values. At a time when new sea uses are emerging and marine spatial planning laws and regulations are being adopted, but have not yet been put into practice, research studies are required that provide spatial planners with informed insights concerning public stakeholder attitudes to controversial policies. The undertaken research explored the attitudes of two important social groups (local residents and tourists/recreational users) regarding locating wind parks in the marine and/or terrestrial environment along the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea. The results of the study indicate that both groups support land-based wind park development versus offshore. Moreover, the visibility of wind turbines influences the willingness of tourists to visit recreation sites and impacts directly on their duration of stay. Research findings indicate that policy makers and spatial planners from both marine and land domains should adopt a broader and more integrated approach when setting priorities and allocating space for development activities where both domains are involved.     

Wind energy potential analysis for Thailand: Uncertainty from wind maps and sensitivity to turbine technology

Rapid development of wind energy has been witnessed in Thailand. However, different wind resource maps (over land) have brought great uncertainty to wind energy planning. Here, four important mesoscale wind maps were considered: DEDP (2001), World Bank (2001), Manomaiphiboon et al. (2010) of JGSEE, and DEDE (2010). The wind maps were first harmonized to a common grid at 100 m and then compared. The earlier wind maps (DEDP and World Bank) are shown to represent the lower and upper limits of predicted speed, respectively, while JGSEE and DEDE tend to be more moderate with predictions statistically closer to observations. A consolidated wind map was constructed based on their median and shown to have the best prediction performance. It was then used for the technical potential analysis, in which three large (2-MW) turbine models (two conventional and one designed for low wind speed) were considered. By GIS techniques, any land areas not feasible for large wind turbines were excluded, and the corresponding overall onshore technical potential ranges between 50 and 250 GW, depending on map and turbine model. Considering only economically feasible turbines (with capacity factors of 20%) and the median-based map, the final technical potential equals 17 GW when using the low-wind-speed model but is reduced to 5 GW with the conventional models, adequately meeting the national wind energy target of 3 GW by the year 2036. The results suggest a strong sensitivity of estimated technical potential to turbine technology and a suitability of low-wind-speed turbines for wind conditions in Thailand.     

关于加强城市风环境规划研究的思考

城市风环境规划对于城市建设具有十分重要的意义,但在我国关注度还相对较低,为城市环境规划留有"隐患"。开展风环境规划研究,合理规划城市风环境,建立城市通风廊道,是城市规划的有益创新,也是践行习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的具体体现。本文梳理和总结了部分发达国家和地区城市风环境研究与技术发展状况,结合我国城市风环境规划研究和管理现状,从推动我国城市风环境规划的角度给出了若干建议。     

Local authority technology policies

This paper is concerned with the failure of published research to provide a framework within which local technology policy could be analysed and evaluated. It firstly describes a simple model of the technological development process. Then, using this model as a base, develops a framework for analysing the main aspects of technological policies. The paper considers the main results of a recent survey of local authority technology development policies and initiatives before providing some overall conclusions relating to the nature, direction and likely effectiveness of such policies.     

Wind energy development in Ontario: a process/product paradox

The Province of Ontario is aggressively pursuing renewable energy development, but not without significant turbulence. Ontario's Green Energy Act (2009) reflects this aggressive pursuit, and is aimed at making the province a global leader in renewable energy development. Wind energy is an integral but controversial part of these commitments. While several installations have been built or announced, conflicts surrounding the development of the technology continue to grow. This article documents, analyses and interprets media coverage in order to understand public discourse potentially driving support for and resistance to wind energy development (WED) in Ontario. Contrary to numerous studies which have elucidated public attitudes towards WED, the media discourse analysed suggests that roadblocks to public acceptance of the technology are more rooted in the development process (renewable energy policies and their implementation) rather than the products of WED (wind turbines). The study highlights the need for increased procedural justice to ameliorate feelings of unfairness which play a key role in fuelling resistance to the technology.     

Discourses of on-farm wind energy generation in the UK farming press

As the owners of the majority of land in the U.K., farmers are well placed to contribute to renewable energy targets. Media coverage can both drive and reflect farmers’ views about renewable energy but has been largely unexplored to date. This article uses discourse analysis to examine the evolution of coverage of one form of renewable energy – on-farm wind – in the U.K. farming press from 1980 to 2013. We identified a diverse debate with five major discourses. On-farm wind turbines are alternatively represented as: profitable farm diversification opportunities; producers of clean energy; important for rural development and sources of conflict. Although press coverage predominantly encourages wind energy production, a further discourse advises farmers to ‘Proceed with Caution’. While emphasising images and values which have widespread affinity among U.K. farmers, the press have increasingly employed an economic frame, constructing wind energy generation as a farm diversification strategy. The most recent farming press coverage predominantly encourages an instrumental approach to wind energy, crowding out other (non-economic) rationales and marginalising local community concerns. This appears to reflect the financial orientation of recent policy support (particularly Feed-in Tariffs), and may have long-term costs in enabling sustainable energy production systems.     

US resources policy: The 1982 report to congress

This paper analyses the extent to which the new Reagan mineral policy will encourage increased US production, substitution, recycling and conservation, domestic stock-piling and diversification of foreign supplies. Major inadequacies of the mineral policy are the transfer of responsibility for research and development from the government to the unprepared private sector, the lack of emphasis on short-term research and development in mineral processing technology, and the lack of coordination between minerals policy and national security and foreign policy. However, overall the policy is a positive step towards reducing the current US minerals supply vulnerability.     

A survey of rainstorms as weather hazards in southern Nigeria

This paper examines the role played by winds as a weather hazard in urban centres of southern Nigeria. It is observed that strong winds associated with rainstorms at the beginning of the rainy season are a threat to urban centres as they directly affect buildings and infrastructure. Wind hazards also have indirect social and economic consequences on the communities affected. Much of the damage done to buildings is as a result of inappropriate building designs that have not taken into consideration the wind environment. An inventory of reports of damage caused by winds during the first half of 1995 showed that different towns in eight states were affected. These incidences occurred mainly at the beginning of the rainy season when strong winds are associated with linesqualls. Although wind related hazards have not been adequately acknowledged as an environmental problem that needs to be properly addressed in Nigeria, as in the case of flooding, results have shown that it is a problem that requires government intervention in view of global climate change and consequent extreme weather events. Wind hazard awareness and preparedness as integral aspects of development policy and planning of the environment is therefore needed in West African countries where linesqualls are very significant rain producers.     

Contrasting the core beliefs regarding the effective implementation of wind power. An international study of stakeholder perspectives

This paper analyses patterns in beliefs about the implementation of wind power as part of a geographical comparison of onshore wind power developments in the Netherlands, North-Rhine Westphalia and England. Q methodology is applied, in order to systematically compare the patterns in stakeholder views on the institutional conditions and changes in the domains of energy policy, spatial planning and environmental policy. Three factors represent support for wind power implementation from fundamentally different perspectives. The fourth perspective is critical opposed to wind power developments as well as critical to the manner in which wind projects are proposed, planned and implemented. These four perspectives exist across the geographical cases; however, some perspectives are prominent in one case and marginal in another. This relates to different legacies and varying implementation achievements in the three cases. The analysis shows that an approach that focuses on implementing as much wind power as possible, relying on technocratic reasoning and hierarchical policies is in practice the least successful, whereas collaborative perspectives with more emphasis on local issues and less on the interests of the conventional energy sector were particularly dominant in the most successful case, North-Rhine Westphalia.     

‘Green On Green’: Public perceptions of wind power in Scotland and Ireland

The wind energy debate represents a new kind of environmental controversy which divides environmentalists of different persuasions who attach contrasting priority to global and local concerns. Case studies of public attitudes towards existing and proposed windfarm developments in Scotland and Ireland are used to test three counter-intuitive hypotheses derived from previous attitudinal research. These are: (a) that local people become more favourable towards windfarms after construction; (b) that the degree of acceptance increases with proximity to them; and (c) that the NIMBY syndrome(not-in-my-back-yard) does not adequately explain variations in public attitudes. All three hypotheses are supported by this study. Large majorities favour wind power development in principle and in (local) practice. Although some aspects of NIMBY attitudes exist, the surveys reveal an ‘inverse NIMBY’ syndrome, whereby those with windfarms in their ‘backyard’ strongly support the technology. The research endorses the view that aesthetic perceptions, both positive and negative, are the strongest single influence on individuals' attitudes towards wind power projects. Comparison of the current institutional factors driving wind energy development with those during earlier eras of hydro-power development and large-scale afforestation emphasizes the need for strategic planning guidance. The potential for using a planning-led approach to windfarm developments by adopting ‘Indicative Windfarm Strategies’ is discussed.     

我国土壤修复产业的资金瓶颈及对策分析

我国土壤修复产业市场潜力巨大,但资金投入不足、来源单一以及分配不合理等问题引起的资金匮乏一直是困扰该产业发展的最主要瓶颈。现行的相关土壤环境保护法律不完善、政策缺失、资金渠道单一以及技术相对落后导致我国土壤修复产业的资金瓶颈问题亟待解决。本文从政府-企业-市场三个层面出发,系统地分析了构建我国土壤修复产业在立法、政策、技术和资金等方面突破资金瓶颈的综合对策方案,对于逐步形成更完善的土壤修复产业,推进我国土壤修复产业稳步前进具有重大意义。     

An Exploration of Scenarios to Support Sustainable Land Management Using Integrated Environmental Socio-economic Models

Scenario analysis constitutes a valuable deployment method for scientific models to inform environmental decision-making, particularly for evaluating land degradation mitigation options, which are rarely based on formal analysis. In this paper we demonstrate such an assessment using the PESERA–DESMICE modeling framework with various scenarios for 13 global land degradation hotspots. Starting with an initial assessment representing land degradation and productivity under current conditions, options to combat instances of land degradation are explored by determining: (1) Which technologies are most biophysically appropriate and most financially viable in which locations; we term these the “technology scenarios”; (2) how policy instruments such as subsidies influence upfront investment requirements and financial viability and how they lead to reduced levels of land degradation; we term these the “policy scenarios”; and (3) how technology adoption affects development issues such as food production and livelihoods; we term these the “global scenarios”. Technology scenarios help choose the best technology for a given area in biophysical and financial terms, thereby outlining where policy support may be needed to promote adoption; policy scenarios assess whether a policy alternative leads to a greater extent of technology adoption; while global scenarios demonstrate how implementing technologies may serve wider sustainable development goals. Scenarios are applied to assess spatial variation within study sites as well as to compare across different sites. Our results show significant scope to combat land degradation and raise agricultural productivity at moderate cost. We conclude that scenario assessment can provide informative input to multi-level land management decision-making processes.     

SDJ/W25高低温恒湿环境试验箱

在科技高速发展的今天,越来越多的精密仪器需要进行高低温及湿热试验,以便对试品在给定环境条件下的行为能力作出评价。精密仪器往往要求低风速,低震动和高精度温场。本文介绍环境试验设备如何实现低风速、低震动下,温场高精度。