Exploring local projects for sustainable energy in system transition: local perceptions of success

ABSTRACT

In the sustainability transitions literature, ‘success’ is conceived as the transition from an unsustainable system to a sustainable one. However, this view hides a more profound complexity in individual projects which can contribute to system transition. This paper focuses instead on local projects as key sites for change. In two case studies of UK sustainable energy projects, success is shown to be characterised by different causative beliefs held by different people about the problems being addressed, which predetermines solutions to those problems; and hence the nature of success. By acknowledging this multiplicity of success, as perceived by ordinary residents and project organisers as well as transition scholars, ‘narratives of success’ can be recognised, enabling future projects to build on success, and continue along the path to transition. This reconceptualisation provides transition scholars with new ways of understanding and effecting transitions; by focusing on the project level, which is useful in contexts with varying commitment to sustainability.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainability transitions
• sustainable energy
• success
• wicked problems

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mark Reed and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on this paper.

Notes on contributors

Beck Collins completed her Ph.D. in sustainable projects for sustainable energy – ‘exploring the nature of success’ in 2014. Her research interests include sustainability transitions, sustainable energy projects, local governance and community energy. Beck combines her research with practice – she is a volunteer Director for a community energy society, and has worked on energy efficiency projects in local authorities. This practice involves changing policy contexts, contradictory priorities and different forms of governance, and provides Beck with important research sites to explore success and failure in these projects, and from that, possible routes to transition.

David Boyd is Professor of Construction and Director of the Centre for Research in the Environment and Society at the Birmingham School of the Built Environment. David has a background in engineering, but is better known for his management insights of the industry. Early work included researching and designing solar heating schemes for housing estates and low energy refurbishment working with users on design.

His major contribution has been to develop a model of projects in the industry as complex adaptive sociotechnical systems. This work has been developed within the wider concept of Knowledge Management that was funded by the DTI. He has completed research on construction clients which was published as a book and adopted by the Construction Clients Forum. He is developing research into practice through the philosophy of expertise-in-context and is currently researching the challenges of connecting human and information perspectives in BIM.

Rachel’s research interests include decision-making, stakeholder engagement, partnership working, corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues. Her Ph.D. focused on analysing the processes and characteristics associated with varying levels of stakeholder engagement. Through this and other research at a local, national and European level expertise in surveys, interviews and case study, further analysis has been developed.

Rachel was involved in a two year European Commission Leonardo Programme (Europark) working with 12 partners across Europe to design and implement a training strategy which addressed issues of sustainable development. The outcome of the project was an e-learning facility and good practice manual published in English and Italian. In addition to this, Rachel is an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Green Economics which aims to establish effective communication between policy makers, government agencies, academic and research institutions and foster understanding and create solutions across all aspects of the economy and society. She is also a reviewer for the International Journal of Learning, and is currently on a secondment to the University’s Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.