Which is more important: renewable energy or landscape heritage? Two researchers in a COST Action examined how the public and policymakers might not have to choose, and strengthened their careers at the same time.
Over 200 engineers, landscape conservationists and social scientists from 37 countries joined the ‘Renewable energy and landscape quality’ (RELY) COST Action to address a dilemma. “Renewable energies are one of the best ways to mitigate climate change, but you can’t hide infrastructure such as wind farms. That creates conflict,” says Professor Michael Roth, chair of RELY.
“RELY generated new knowledge for melding extreme positions,” he adds. The result was ‘Renewable Energy and Landscape Quality’ – a book of 33 country overviews of renewable energy and landscape polices, along with guidelines and case studies on siting infrastructure. For example, RELY showed that people are more willing to accept renewables production when it is on waste land, benefits communities financially or includes local people in the planning process.
“The book was a huge success,” says Roth. “It synthesised research in the field and our working groups to reach a wider audience.” In addition, RELY held exhibitions and public meetings around Europe to share its work.
Enhanced perspectives
Contributing to the case studies research was Tadej Bevk, a Slovenian post-graduate researcher from a so-called Inclusiveness Target Country – a country with a less-developed research infrastructure.
In RELY, he found a PhD focus and instant network. “I had 50 mentors. I could write to people for information and got a focal point for framing research on landscape perceptions,” he says. “I have a better international perspective and got right into the state of the art.”
He reciprocated with a chapter in the book. “COST gives me more credibility within my own country. It is tremendously helpful for people at my stage of career,” Bevk confirms.
Meeting challenges
There was also an academic need behind the Action, Professor Roth explains. “Research on the interrelation between landscape quality and renewable energy is fragmented throughout Europe. No one had done a high-level screening on this.”
The size of RELY made it possible to document and analyse a wide range of research, Roth adds. Research on factors for reconciling renewables with landscape quality continues in two EU-funded projects, PEARLS and ADAPTAS.
In addition, RELY was personally rewarding for Roth. “This was the first EU project of this size that I ran. It confirmed that I could manage a similar project again.” After the Action started, Roth jumped straight into leadership of a German nationally-funded project on conservation and renewables, assessing landscape quality for grid expansion.
Following RELY, he thinks that people can accept infrastructure for the switch to low-carbon energy. “It is possible to build renewable energy projects if they are built in the right way in the right places,” he says.