What is Stored, Why, and How? Mental Models, Knowledge, and Public Acceptance of Hydrogen Storage

Zaunbrecher, Barbara S.; Bexten, Thomas; Wirsum, Manfred; Ziefle, Martina

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2016.10.102

Cited by 51 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…These associations are collectively referred to as "mental models" in this research, referring to emotions, knowledge and associations attached to a specific topic. A variety of studies uncovering mental models in relation to acceptance of energy-related technologies [19], Carbon (dioxide) Capture and Storage (CCS) [20] and climate change [21] have been conducted which found evidence for the close connection between acceptance and the willingness to adopt a technology on the one hand and positive or negative connotations within mental models on the other hand. Furthermore, they validated the elicitation of mental models from laypeople as a suitable method to identify misconceptions and topics needing to be addressed in (risk) communication concepts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Mental Models of Geothermal Energy among Laypeople in Germany as Hidden Drivers for Acceptance

Zaunbrecher¹,

Kluge²,

Ziefle³

2018

J. sustain. dev. energy water environ. syst.

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Geothermal energy provides an opportunity for sustainable energy supply. Nevertheless, some local geothermal energy projects face public opposition. To understand public acceptance or rejection of technologies, appropriate methods need to be applied depending on the project phase. This is exemplified for geothermal energy, for which an exploratory, qualitative study was conducted which uncovered laypeoples' mental models by assessing picture, word and colour associations on geothermal energy. Participants (N = 79) were asked for their associations on geothermal energy, as well as its general acceptance. The results revealed insights into cognitive conceptions as well as possible misconceptions. It could also be shown that participants' evaluation of associations in terms of positive emotions correlated positively with geothermal energy acceptance. The study verifies that assessing mental models can be valuable in early phases of understanding public acceptance, as acceptance-relevant criteria and topics to be addressed can be identified in order to adequately respond to people's concerns.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Mental Models of Geothermal Energy among Laypeople in Germany as Hidden Drivers for Acceptance

Zaunbrecher¹,

Kluge²,

Ziefle³

2018

J. sustain. dev. energy water environ. syst.

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“…With regard to research on citizen's perception of hydrogen, studies report low public awareness and knowledge of hydrogen and associated technologies such as fuel cells [52] and inconsistent results with regard to the acceptance of hydrogen technologies. While some studies suggest that there is widespread support for hydrogen's development as a fuel and concerns with safety risks are rather low [53], other studies report hydrogen technologies such as hydrogen fuel stations receiving opposition or low acceptance from citizens [54][55][56]. More specifically, studies showed that people have mixed attitudes concerning the safety and storage of hydrogen near residential areas [54], that intentions to act against hydrogen facilities is more strongly based on moral considerations than on self-interest [55] and that the further the distance between fuel station and dwelling, the more accepting people are of the technology [56].…”

Section: Hydrogen Fuel Stationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the social acceptance of key technologies for the German energy transition

Baur

Emmerich²,

Baumann³

et al. 2022

Energ Sustain Soc

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Background The widespread use of sustainable energy technologies is a key element in the transformation of the energy system from fossil-based to zero-carbon. In line with this, technology acceptance is of great importance as resistance from the public can slow down or hinder the construction of energy technology projects. The current study assesses the social acceptance of three energy technologies relevant for the German energy transition: stationary battery storage, biofuel production plants and hydrogen fuel station. Methods An online survey was conducted to examine the public’s general and local acceptance of energy technologies. Explored factors included general and local acceptance, public concerns, trust in relevant stakeholders and attitudes towards financial support. Results The results indicate that general acceptance for all technologies is slightly higher than local acceptance. In addition, we discuss which public concerns exist with regard to the respective technologies and how they are more strongly associated with local than general acceptance. Further, we show that trust in stakeholders and attitudes towards financial support is relatively high across the technologies discussed. Conclusions Taken together, the study provides evidence for the existence of a “general–local” gap, despite measuring general and local acceptance at the same level of specificity using a public sample. In addition, the collected data can provide stakeholders with an overview of worries that might need to be addressed when planning to implement a certain energy project.

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“…CO 2based fuels had to be evaluated on eleven different evaluative dimensions-each represented by a bipolar adjective pair (e.g., inefficient/efficient) relating to acceptance, perceived benefits, costs, and risks (see Figure 2)-on a scale from 1 (= negative adjective) to 10 (= positive adjective). The adjectival scales were selected based on previous literature (Chin et al, 2008;Zaunbrecher et al, 2016;Linzenich et al, 2019;Jansen et al, 2020) and an interview pre-study on alternative fuel perceptions. Six of the adjectival scales were directed at capturing perceived risks linked to toxic effects (i.e., risky/safe, dangerous/harmless, polluting/eco-friendly, toxic/nontoxic, dirty/clean, harmful/not harmful).…”

Section: Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

Harmful or Beneficial to Humans and the Environment? An Empirical Study on the Social Acceptance and Risk Perception of CO2-Based Fuels

Linzenich

Engelmann²,

Arning³

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Risk analysis and assessment of toxic effects are important elements to be considered in the development of renewable fuels, such as CO2-based fuels made from CO2, water, and renewable energy. However, the successful introduction of CO2-based fuels could also be affected by public concerns about possible risks and adverse effects on health and the environment. In order to examine risk perceptions of laypeople for CO2-based fuels and to understand if they can act as a barrier for the public acceptance of these fuels, we carried out an online survey with German laypeople. A special focus was placed on perceptions of toxic effects such as beliefs about exposure pathways and resulting health impacts, but also on participants’ openness towards CO2-based fuels. Results showed that CO2-based fuels were seen as an acceptable and beneficial technology and risks were perceived to be low. By tendency, lower risk perceptions were related to a higher acceptance of CO2-based fuels. The overall risk judgment was impacted by fears about toxic effects, concerns about environmental pollution, and the perceived general harmfulness of CO2-based fuels. The general openness towards CO2-based fuels was revealed to affect risk perceptions and beliefs about toxic effects: A higher openness towards the topic was linked to less severe concerns about CO2-based fuels. The findings from this study provide valuable insights on how to develop communication concepts to inform laypeople about possible risks and benefits of CO2-based fuels to address their concerns and information demands and give them a better understanding of the effects of toxic substances on different risk targets.

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What is Stored, Why, and How? Mental Models, Knowledge, and Public Acceptance of Hydrogen Storage

Cited by 51 publications

References 25 publications

Exploring Mental Models of Geothermal Energy among Laypeople in Germany as Hidden Drivers for Acceptance

Exploring Mental Models of Geothermal Energy among Laypeople in Germany as Hidden Drivers for Acceptance

Assessing the social acceptance of key technologies for the German energy transition

Harmful or Beneficial to Humans and the Environment? An Empirical Study on the Social Acceptance and Risk Perception of CO2-Based Fuels

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