Author: Martine Farstad

Based in Thessaloniki, Greece, Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PC is a consultancy company offering quality expert advice to support sustainable business and implement high-end Research and Innovation (R&I) projects as well as policy studies.

Q-PLAN has extensive experience in the design, management and implementation of R&I projects under EU programmes, such as Horizon Europe, as well as studies conducted on behalf of the European Commission Directorates-General and Agencies (>70 projects and studies). Their main areas of expertise include project coordination and management, exploitation of project results, development of business models and plans, as well as communication and dissemination.

Q-PLAN’s Role in the WENDY Project

As the Exploitation Manager for the WENDY project, Q-PLAN is focused on paving the way towards the effective use of WENDY’s results beyond the end of the project, working alongside partners to maximise the project’s benefits. The team has also mapped best practices from wind farms across the EU that have successfully increased social acceptance, and they are actively involved in knowledge transfer and shaping policy recommendations for wind energy.

Supporting Community Engagement and Innovation

Evangelos Genitsaris, a civil engineer, and Prodromos Gkalimanis, an environmental engineer, are spearheading the work of Q-PLAN’s team for the WENDY. Together, they manage the WENDY Knowledge Exchange Platform (KEP), a dynamic hub designed for stakeholders to share insights, access tools, and foster community growth around wind energy practices. They also oversee the WENDY Network of Interest, an initiative inviting wind energy stakeholders to exchange ideas and engage with WENDY’s activities, fostering innovation and best practice in the sector.

“The WENDY KEP provides a collaborative space for mutual learning within the wind energy community, serving as a gateway to innovation,” says Evangelos. Prodromos adds, “Our Network of Interest encourages wind energy enthusiasts to contribute insights and support WENDY’s mission to advance wind energy tools and practices.”

Commitment to Renewable Energy Q-PLAN’s participation in WENDY aligns with our mission to serve as a vigorous cell of society and our interest towards advancing novel renewable energy solutions. With a strong track record in renewable energy projects, including the ongoing MarineWind offshore wind initiative, Q-PLAN views its involvement in WENDY as an opportunity to increase awareness and expertise in wind energy across Greece and beyond. Through their work, they aspire to drive knowledge sharing and collaboration in the sector, leaving a lasting impact on the wind energy sector and contributing to a sustainable future.

Read more about Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PC here

Authors: Evangelos Genitsaris, Prodromos Gkalimanis.
ed. M. Farstad

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) is a globally recognised business school with a broad focus and deep roots in the Nordic socio-economic model.

CBS is dedicated to producing high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education that address societal challenges, and is actively involved in research and projects related to wind energy through various initiatives.

The WENDY project is placed under the CBS Sustainability Center, Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC). The Center for Sustainability is multi-disciplinary research hub focused on sustainable practices and developments in organisations, markets and society at large. Its research profile includes topics like sustainable business models, responsible management, and the integration of sustainability into corporate strategies.

The CBS project team working on WENDY includes Associate Professor Efthymios Altsitsiadis (PI) and Postdoc Roopali Bhatnagar. This research team brings extensive research expertise in the social science and humanities domain, especially behavioral decision making and social acceptance of renewable energy. Roopali largely manages the project tasks incl., design, implementation of surveys, data analysis, preparation of deliverable reports and academic publications, while Efthymios provides overall direction and guidance. Working at the CBS Sustainability Center, enables the team to benefit from the expertise of other CBS researchers and learn from a multitude of existing sustainability projects.

“We strongly believe that the comprehensive solutions developed under the WENDY project will positively influence attitudes towards wind energy, not just in the use case areas, but globally,” says Roopali Bhatnagar.

Lucía Paloma Castillo and Irma Villar

The Greek energy community, Minoan Energy Community (MEC), was established to empower the energy transition in Crete and democratise energy generation using renewable energy resources (RES). It is the largest energy community in Greece with over 850 members (March 2024), primarily residing on the island of Crete.

Minoan Energy Community plays a crucial role in the WENDY project. Through its extensive membership base, activities and collaboration with other energy communities, MEC facilitates effective communication with the Greek social fabric for one of the pilot areas. The project explores factors influencing public opinion on wind energy, focusing on energy citizenship, environmental design and energy landscapes.

Participation in MEC projects is voluntary, allowing any of the (over 1000) members to contribute. A technical-scientific team of 30 members, comprised of members of the community who are experts in various fields including industry, academia, and consulting. The local government oversees the activities. Six individuals are actively involved in the WENDY project: Irini Dakanaki, Chrysoula Iakovopoulou, George Doriakis, Dimitris Katsaprakakis, Nikolaos Papadakis, and Ioannis Samonakis.

While specific roles aren’t assigned, Irini, Chrysoula, and Nikolaos typically manage the organisation and execution of questionnaires, workshops, interviews, and report preparation. John Samonakis maintains the MEC website and supports communication and dissemination efforts. Dimitris, a founding member and a leading figure in MEC’s Technical Committee, boasts extensive academic expertise in RES and grid integration, offering valuable guidance to the team.

“WENDY empowers local communities and stakeholders in Greece to participate in developing and maintaining wind farms, promoting environmental harmony and public acceptance. Recognising the project’s focus on fostering social acceptance of wind turbines, MEC actively participates in the WENDY project,” said the President of MEC, Lambis Giannopoulos.

This commitment addressing key issues and seeks impactful solutions. In Greece, onshore wind has faced resistance due to perceived overexploitation by commercial companies with limited community integration. MEC believes that democratising energy generation is essential for public acceptance of wind energy initiatives. They view WENDY as a valuable resource for promoting sustainable integration of offshore wind energy into Greece’s energy landscape, providing insights beneficial local and national legislative bodies.

Author: Nikolaos Papadakis, MEC
Edit: Martine Farstad

Our partner Norwegian Offshore Wind is a Norwegian industry cluster with members from the offshore wind industry. Its goal is to establish world leading supply chains within floating offshore wind. With close to 400 members ranging from agile start-ups to large offshore wind developers, it is the biggest industry network in Norway.

Norwegian Offshore Wind is a key participant in the WENDY project and has responsibility for one of the pilot areas in addition to communication and dissemination of the project. The project is investigating the factors influencing public opinions concerning wind energy, with a specific emphasis on energy citizenship, environmental design, and energy landscapes. While WENDY focuses on both onshore and offshore wind, Norwegian Offshore Wind exclusively concentrates on the offshore component of the project.

The cluster has 14 employees, two of them which are working on the WENDY project, Martine Elise Farstad and Christopher Harman. Martine is the communication and dissemination manager for the Wendy project and is responsible for WENDY’s social media, website, and newsletter. Chris is the Innovation Manager for the cluster and has a background from the institute sector looking at effects of industrial activities. He supports the work being done in the WENDY projects on topics like turbines’ social acceptance and wind energy citizenship. He is also involved in the work related to the Norwegian pilot area together with Martine.

-WENDY provides a unique platform to explore the complexities of integrating offshore wind into our energy landscape, ensuring harmony with the environment, and public acceptance, says Christopher Harman, Innovation Manager in Norwegian Offshore Wind.

Norwegian Offshore Wind is decided to participate in the WENDY project, recognising the critical importance of the project’s focus. The decision to join stems from a commitment to addressing key issues and aspiring to generate effective solutions. In Norway, onshore wind has encountered resistance as a renewable energy source, necessitating the exploration of strategies that enable offshore wind to harmoniously coexist with other industries utilising the same ocean space. Central to this is to safeguard the environment and foster public acceptance of offshore wind initiatives. Norwegian Offshore Wind looks to WENDY as a platform that will offer valuable insights and approaches, shedding light on how to navigate these challenges and promote the sustainable integration of offshore wind energy into Norway’s energy landscape. This information can become valuable information for the members of Norwegian Offshore Wind and possibly also governmental bodies in Norway.

Find out more about Norwegian Offshore Wind here.