101 / 2021-11-30 21:52:50

Debating Low Carbon Economy within the Prosumers Communities

energy transition,sustainable energy transition,energy cultures,photovoltaics adoption dynamics,green growth discourse,right-wing populism,vernacular discourse

Energy and Sustainable Green Development > 6. Transformation and Sustainable Development of Resource-based Cities

The proposed presentation contributes to observation and analysis of grass roots discourse to investigate the social system surrounding energy technology and hardware. The presentation focuses on bringing together opinions and experiences of end-users and prosumers of energy systems and cross-references those with suppliers’ discourse and programs. The discussion relates to the debate on the character of energy transition running within the field of energy policy research. In the discussion we relate to perspectives of evolutionary versus transformational energy transition  (L. Stegemann &, M. Ossewaarde (2018) J. Szarka (2016) P. Żuk and K. Szulecki (2020).

The body of reference material we draw upon has been collected within the energy landscape of Lesser Poland. It contains a limited number of 36 structured interviews complemented with surveys. Despite limitations, we find the sample appropriate for situating it in a broader context. One reason for this is region specificity: we describe a central European region heavily dependent on fossil fuels and distinctive for its conservative political and societal attitudes. The other is timing: the research documents a period when an intense campaign promoting participation in photovoltaic renewable energy sources collided with conservative government attempts to postpone social consultations on the shrinking coal mine industry. Local events synchronize with post-pandemic announcements of the New European deal echoed in media debates. Moreover, with its semi-peripheral situation, conservative attitudes and coal dependence, Poland is an ideal model for Comparative studies in Europe and non-European societies.

The study adds a new perspective to debates on green growth hegemonic discourse in politics and business and relates it to the populist discourse of the media. It is our aim to analyse discourse on sustainable energy transformation at the grass roots. This study has different levels, at the level of academic analysis, it bridges qualitative research on the adoption of renewables with dense anthropological descriptions of an energy culture framework. The main case sample is complementary with source materials provided by the well-established line of prosumer studies and adoption studies covering various cultural milieus.

The presented analysis should  explain that vernacular narratives which we have examined are characterized by a tendency to dispense with complex argumentative style typical of the mainstream social actors. The voices do not merely reproduce and exploit "what has been said" in the media or politics, instead they are vigilant about "who engages in a discussion" and "who is entrusted to act." We speculate that social desiderata implied by vernacular discourse, although indisputably vague, often resonate with postulates described in Jürgen Habermas discourse ethics. We conclude that the ethics of authority-free discourse (herrschaftsfreier Diskurs), which, although by its nature is beyond the scope of maintstream social actors, may act as a gamechanger, releasing social energy directed towards the will to act and the will to make one's environment safe.

We believe the study is relevant for energy practitioners and researchers interested in the social aspects of prosumerism. We believe that by focusing on potential points of conflict and highlighting the social demands of energy transition, the study can have profound societal benefit in the communication domain on energy transition. Moreover, with its specific source base, the study relates to current debates on fair energy transition and inclusiveness echoed in the media.