Putting visions in their place: responsible research and innovation for energy system decarbonization

Abstract

Decarbonizing energy systems is an ambitious sociotechnical project, and will have signi fi cant implications for social justice, given the increasing dependence of societies globally on energy services. Eliciting non-expert values and perspectives to help re fl ect on the desirability of visions of socio-technical change has long been promoted within RRI. However, RRI has focused on speci fi c technological proposals and visions, and not encompassed socio-technical systems. Decarbonizing energy requires systemic change involving socio-technical con fi gurations that will vary depending upon geographical constraints and community needs in their host locations. Our case study from Wales, UK shows how fi ndings from interpretative risk research and scholarship on energy and everyday life can help design upstream participatory processes that address simultaneously systems, e ff ects on place, and everyday life. Engaging community residents through community mapping explores these dimensions of energy transition, enriching and enlarging understandings of both local and systemic aspects of the energy transition.