The WENDY project recently concluded an online Steering Committee meeting 20 February 2024. The meeting marked another step forward in the project’s mission to unravel the factors driving social acceptance of wind farms.
“I am thrilled with the progress made so far in the project. The WENDY project is actively promoting social acceptance through a multidimensional approach,” said Jonatan Peris Rivas, Project Manager at Fundacion CIRCE.
Throughout the virtual session, the team conducted a comprehensive review of progress across work packages, emphasising multiple dimensions: social sciences and humanities, environmental sciences, and technological engineering.
The project partners are pleased to report that all initiatives are on track, with significant progress made in key areas.
WENDY is dedicated to conducting an in-depth analysis of the factors influencing social acceptance of wind farms. The project’s approach encompasses three critical dimensions: social sciences and humanities, environmental sciences, and technological engineering. By implementing a series of local actions, WENDY aims to promote the wider adoption of project solutions. This includes the creation of guidelines, reports, and handbooks, fostering a deeper understanding of decision-making processes related to wind farms and encouraging energy stewardship.
Founded in 1993, CIRCE is a key player in sustainable development and leads the WENDY project with a skilled and diverse team dedicated to innovative solutions for renewable energy development.
-We work towards improving enterprise competitiveness through technology transfer via R&D (research and development) activities and market-oriented training in resource sustainability, effectiveness, energy grids, and renewable energies, says Jonatan Peris Rivas, Project Manager at Fundacion CIRCE.
CIRCE, as the coordinator of the WENDY project, plays a role in wind characterisation, curtailment evaluation criteria, and sM-V.KPI application.
Dedicated Team
Eight individuals from CIRCE are working on the WENDY project, focusing on enhancing the social acceptability of wind energy. Key people include:
Ana Talayero & Sonia de Uña: Leading holistic impact assessments on wind installations’ environmental and community effects.
Hector Leiva: Researching mitigation solutions and compensation strategies for CO2 footprints.
Jonatan Peris Rivas: Serving as WENDY Coordinator and Project Manager, overseeing technical and financial execution.
Wind Power Expertise
With over two decades of experience, CIRCE has great experience in wind energy, contributing significantly to the technical, financial, social, and environmental aspects of the sector. Their extensive involvement spans the entire value chain, from site assessment to the ongoing operation and servicing of 450 wind farms globally. As a trusted partner for major wind energy firms, CIRCE’s commitment to research, development, and innovation is evident in their participation in global projects, seeking innovative solutions for the future.
Strategic Alignment
CIRCE’s involvement in the WENDY project stems from its dedication to overcoming challenges in wind energy, particularly addressing issues related to public acceptance. Recognising the complexities of social, environmental, and technical factors, CIRCE aims to enhance the overall acceptability of wind power. Specifically, the organisation will contribute models for wind resource characterisation and micro-siting evaluation, aligning with its philosophy of seeking innovative solutions for the sector.
Catalyst for Change
Guided by CIRCE, WENDY is more than a project—it’s a catalyst for transitioning from ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My Backyard) to ‘PIMBY’ (Please In My Backyard), fostering cooperation between communities and renewable energy. The expected impacts span scientific advancements, societal transformations, economic benefits, technological innovations, and environmental considerations. WENDY aims to increase social acceptability by addressing multiple factors at social, environmental, and technical levels.
Envisioned outcomes include the standardisation of consenting procedures, improved policies, and replication of successful activities in at least 12 new regions. The project’s multidisciplinary approach will impact citizens, legislators, and the European Union, contributing to better understanding social acceptance and enhancing competitiveness through technology transfer.
-WENDY is not just about wind energy; it’s about nurturing a new era of cooperation between communities and renewable energy, says Jonatan Peris Rivas.
The acronym NIMBY refers to the English phrase “Not in my backyard” and it is defined in The Oxford English Dictionary as: “an attitude attributed to people who object to the siting of something they consider harmful or dangerous in their own neighbourhood, while implicitly not objecting to similar developments elsewhere“[1].
Not only do wind farm projects not escape this definition, but they are also projects where public opinion is in favour of sustainable power generation, yet local communities are often opposed to such developments. This is due to the fear of potential negative impacts they may have on the local community and rights-holders. Such concerns are generally referred to as health concerns, potential negative landscape and environmental risks, land value and impact on tourism and economic activity in general.
WIMBY, WENDY and JustWind4All are all European projects that aim to change the social perception of onshore and offshore wind energy projects by investigating the drivers and barriers to social acceptance, so that wind energy gains significantly more public attention and support from the broad society. They also aim to accelerate the development of onshore and offshore wind energy through fair and effective governance. By creating synergies between the 3 projects, the hope is to increase the impact and the outreach of the high-quality tools and knowledge under development.
A collection of shared thoughts from three Horizon Europe projects – WENDY, JustWind4All, and WIMBY
WIMBY
WIMBY (Wind In My BackYard) emerges as an European-funded initiative dedicated to fostering the adoption and acceptance of wind power within the European Union. Positioned at the intersection of technological innovation, societal engagement, and environmental impact assessment, WIMBY aims to change the narrative surrounding wind energy deployment.
WIMBY’s goal is to develop innovative tools facilitating citizen and stakeholder interaction, knowledge sharing, and collaborative evaluation of impacts, conflicts, synergies, and social innovation potential related to wind power. The project aligns with the broader EU decarbonisation strategy, seeking to increase the use of wind power as a sustainable and cost-effective renewable energy source.
The primary goal of WIMBY is to address and mitigate the NIMBY effect, a phenomenon where local communities resist new developments that they fear might negatively impact their surroundings. The NIMBY effect represents a significant barrier to the widespread deployment of wind power, despite its potential to combat climate change. WIMBY seeks to bridge this gap by providing practical information for stakeholders and citizens, fostering participatory decision-making processes, developing strategies that consider trade-offs and synergies, finally supporting a just transition involving the whole society in shaping our common future energy landscape.
WIMBY employs innovative models to assess the impacts and potential conflicts emerging from new wind power development. The project also develops guidelines to increase public engagement, transforming complex data into comprehensible information. These results are shared through open-access repositories and social media, promoting transparency and accessibility.
Central to the project approach is the development of a Web-GIS interactive platform. This platform enhances the accessibility and usability of information, facilitating knowledge exchange among stakeholders. It enables the early engagement of local communities and multi-disciplinary experts in the planning of new wind farm deployments, bringing different perspectives and impact mitigation options into discussion. To conduct transparent and transdisciplinary research, WIMBY has assembled a diverse team of experts, including renewable energy scientists, behavioral economists, ecologists, planners, engineers, lawyers, physicists, and more. The project’s collaborative approach ensures a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with wind energy. This multilevel study unfolds through four pilot cases, where concerns and impacts from social, health, and environmental perspectives are identified and assessed. Through its multifaceted approach, WIMBY endeavors to dismantle barriers, foster informed decision-making, and contribute to the broader mission of a sustainable future.
WENDY
The WENDY project aims at unravelling the factors triggering social acceptance of wind farms through an in-depth analysis at three dimensions: social sciences and humanities, environmental sciences, and technological engineering. The main objective of WENDY is to trigger a societal perception change towards onshore and offshore wind energy and boost the understanding of wind farms decision making processes while enhancing energy citizenship.
The WENDY project has 10 wind farm use cases from 4 different countries: Italy, Spain, Norway, and Greece, through which the solutions and tools developed will be validated. These cases have been selected considering several characteristics such as geography, maturity, type of wind energy and coexistence with other activities.
Although all WENDY tasks are directly or indirectly related to the study of social acceptance factors for wind energy, the project includes specific activities dedicated to the study of this topic, such as the investigation to establish the basis of the current barriers, challenges and needs for increasing the acceptance of wind energy both at the European level and at the level of use cases, among many others.
The WENDY project will also develop several functional applications and materials (guidelines, handbooks, knowledge hubs, an exchange platform and finally the WENDY toolbox) to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between decision makers and key stakeholders, involving citizens, local authorities, business owners and relevant actors of the wind energy value chain.
The WENDY toolbox is a spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis toolbox that will integrate participatory approaches and will be able to identify the optimal turbines’ sitting with the minimum environmental impact and highest social acceptance likelihood.
In this way, WENDY will help to increase social acceptability of wind energy at local communities by changing the NIMBY attitude to a more sustainable and encouraging principle called PIMBY, or “Please, in my backyard”.
JustWind4All
JustWind4All’s overall aim is to support the acceleration of on- and offshore wind energy through just and effective governance. They are undertaking a comprehensive analysis of how different actors are coordinating their actions around wind energy development in regions across Europe, and how this translates (or not) into effective and just processes and outcomes.
While prevalent concepts like NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) and social acceptance have traditionally dominated discourse in wind energy research, they often oversimplify the multifaceted roles that the public assumes in the development of wind energy projects.
JustWind4All contextualises its research more broadly, considering instead both relational and systemic perspectives on participatory practices for allowing to capture a whole variety of different forms of participation and their relations with one another. By emphasizing energy citizenship, the project challenges the passive stance associated with social acceptance, where individuals are constrained to either accept or reject offerings without creative agency to support, resist, amend, subvert, or co-develop, to just name a few ways of how the public engages. In addition, transitions are influenced by many different actors in many different ways – thus JW4A research focuses on diverse actor’s roles, practices and interests – including citizens, but also developers, local and national governments and others. It studies their participatory practices and governance arrangements and processes.
JustWind4All explores participation in several research endeavors. The database of participatory practices and social innovations, in the context of onshore and offshore wind energy developments identifies a set of good participatory practices, while also highlighting examples of social innovation initiatives. The emergence and development of participatory practices in different environments is explored through regional case studies of wind energy governance, resulting in sets of recommendations for fostering energy citizenship. Lastly, through co-production activities with wind energy actors In Wind Labs, JustWind4All can explore first-hand how different actors participate and collaborate in a variety of wind energy contexts!
Join the Wind Revolution: Follow, Engage, and Act!
As WIMBY, JustWind4All, and WENDY are collectively working on a transformative journey towards sustainable wind energy adoption, we invite you to become an integral part of this movement. Stay connected with us on social media platforms, where we share the latest updates, insights, and impactful stories. Subscribe to our newsletters for in-depth information, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and exclusive content.
By following our projects, you actively contribute to the discourse around wind energy acceptance, enabling a future powered by clean, renewable sources. Together, we can break down barriers and foster understanding.
Keep an eye out for upcoming activities— workshops, events, surveys —where your participation can make the difference.
In synergistic collaboration, this article has been made possible through the active participation of three EU-funded projects: WENDY-101084137, WIMBY-101083460, JUSTWIND4ALL-101083936.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
In Šibenik, Croatia, the global assembly convened for the Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts (CWW). Among the esteemed presenters were members of the WENDY team, who showcased their research and methodologies, garnering attention from an audience of researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and representatives of NGOs.
The overarching theme of this year’s CWW was the nature-inclusive upscaling of wind energy, fostering discussions on how to achieve climate targets by increasing the use of wind energy while preserving biodiversity. The WENDY team seized the opportunity to share insights and present research aimed at addressing the challenges at the intersection of wind energy development and wildlife preservation.
Vision for Holistic Development
Roel May, Senior Research Scientist at NINA and a member of the WENDY team, took the stage to present a transdisciplinary framework for holistic wind energy development through energy stewardship. He highlighted that the successful uptake and upscaling of wind energy require not only technological advancements but also societal support and acceptance of the socio-ecological aspects of wind farm siting. The energy stewardship concept aims to build social relational values and connectedness with the development process, supporting the sustainable development of wind energy.
Roel co-delivered the conference’s opening keynote, establishing the thematic groundwork for ensuing discussions. Additionally, he co-hosted a workshop focusing on the challenges of addressing uncertainty in impact assessments. These contributions underscored the WENDY project’s dedication to advancing collaborative knowledge exchange within the wind energy community.
LCIA Method for Assessing Impact on Marine Mammals
Thomas Kvalnes, another WENDY team member from NINA, contributed to the conference by introducing a recently developed life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method. This method is designed to investigate the impacts of offshore wind-power farms on marine mammals during the operational phase. By developing impact pathways for habitat loss and disturbance, Kvalnes’s work provided a spatially explicit framework for evaluating biodiversity consequences and informed decision-makers about potential novel sites for offshore wind farms. Impact pathways for habitat loss and disturbance are developed to characterise the potentially disappeared fraction of species for recently constructed and planned offshore wind farms.
ConSite Wind: A Tool for Informed Decision-Making
Frank Hanssen presented an overview of the ConSite Wind web-app developed by NINA, aiming to inform the balancing of socio-ecological and economic trade-offs in spatial planning of wind power projects. The web-app predicts and visualises spatial consequences of different wind power decision scenarios and enables developers, authorities, and the public to make more informed and transparent decisions for future wind power developments.
Members of the WENDY team were also co-authors on several other presentations and posters at the conference. The abstracts for all presentations can be found on the CWW website.
The WENDY team convened in Zaragoza on November 14-15 for its 4th Steering Committee Meeting, an occasion that underscored the collective dedication and achievements of its diverse consortium of partners.
“It was great hosting all the WENDY partners at CIRCE’s offices in Zaragoza. The first year has gone by very fast, and I would like to applaud the team’s relentless commitment to meeting deadlines and delivering on our promises,” said Jonatan Peris Rivas, Project Manager at Fundacion CIRCE.
The agenda of the Steering Committee Meeting focused on important WENDY issues, including the social acceptance of wind energy and strategies for minimising environmental impact, with a particular emphasis on bird and bat detection.
During the second day of the meeting, the WENDY consortium visited the TICO wind farm, a project with 43 turbines and 180 MW installed power, owned by EGP. Ana and Sonia from EGP provided invaluable insights into the operational aspects of the wind farm. The site visit included a detailed exploration of the pioneering efforts in birdlife detection and protection, elucidated by experts from Konica Minolta at the facilities nearest to the station.
As WENDY marks this milestone with its 4th Steering Committee Meeting, consisting of 2 online sessions and 2 in-person gatherings, the project remains steadfast in its mission to create a sustainable and socially accepted wind energy future.
In an era of increasing environmental awareness and the drive towards sustainable living, a new concept is gaining momentum on the energy landscape — energy communities. These collaborative initiatives are changing the way we think about energy production, consumption, and ownership, fostering a sense of local empowerment and contributing to the broader transition towards cleaner, more resilient energy systems.
42 local stakeholders were discussing identified challenges regarding social acceptance in wind energy projects during a successful warm-up event in Crete. During the event, several ideas to tackle lack of social acceptance and participation in wind energy was discussed. Some of the ideas were further developed into actionable processes.
As part of the WENDY stakeholder engagement actions, the project pilot partners have been conducting warm-up events for local stakeholders in the pilot areas. The event in Crete, organised by WENDY partner Minoan Energy Community, in cooperation with White Research and Q-plan International, intended to inform the participants on the current situation regarding local wind farm development and initiate important discussions. The need for encouraging and mobilising local citizens and stakeholders to actively participate in these types of projects, and to open for joint dialogue on the potential for new wind turbine installations in Crete is vital. This dialogue should include local authorities, licensing authorities, energy communities, and citizens, and it should define a final siting plan for wind turbines.
A Path to Rebuild Trust
In recent years, Crete and other Greek islands have exhibited a notable decline in public support for wind park installations. Prior to 2009, the general sentiment was either neutral or favourable. However, this changed due to a series of large-scale projects initiated by a limited group of major investors without proper community consultation. Misinformation about the effects of wind farms on the environment and local ecology further added fuel to the fire. It was e.g., believed that wind parks would impact rainfall and the welfare of animals. A first step to re-establish trust and make wind energy more acceptable in Crete is to recall all large size wind park licenses and rejecting all applications that are violating several clauses and definitions in the relevant legislation. This is something the WENDY partners will further focus on for the pilot in Crete.
Minoan Energy Community Drives Wind Park Development While Engaging Local Support and Participation
Minoan Energy Community is in the process of establishing a 12 MW wind park, where actively involving landowners and the local community in the process.The next step is to present the project to the local citizens and the municipality to invite and encourage them to take part in the project. Minoan Energy Community has set a 50 MW target of wind energy for Crete and is in the process of searching for suitable installation sites. Encouraging citizens to register in the community or establish own energy communities is part of the capacity building programme, supported by the Regional Authority of Crete. This effort also enjoys the backing of a cluster of Greek energy communities which aim to aid the development of socially oriented energy communities.
This Wednesday, all the WENDY project partners gathered online for the third steering committee meeting. Although it is more enjoyable to meet in person, the online meetings are very time efficient.
The steering committee meeting takes place to make sure all Work Package (WP) leaders are in control, and tasks and deliverables are running as planned. Here, the partners have a chance to ask questions or raise issues related to the project work.
– It is great for me, as the project manager, to get these updates from all the partners. It makes it easier to see if there are something that needs to be adjusted or if there are partners struggling with their tasks, says Jonatan Peris Rivas, Project Manager at CIRCE – Centro Tecnológico (Technology Center).
It has been some busy last few months for the project partners with many activities happening in various work packages.
– This time we are happy to report that all tasks and deliverables are on track, and the partners will continue the work to deliver on time. The next big deadline in the WENDY project is at the end of September, so there is no time to rest for the partners the upcoming months, says Jonatan.
Last week, our partner Norwegian Offshore Wind hosted 700+ participants from 20 different countries for Floating Wind Days. During the event coexistence has been one of the themes being discussed – a key ingredient to achieve social acceptance for offshore wind.
Norways smallest municipality, Utsira, with just a few hundred inhabitants prepares itself to welcome Norways new industry adventure – offshore wind. In the coexistence session at Floating Wind Days, Business development director, Grete Møgster explains the proud maritime history of this island community located on the far west coast. Despite a relatively positive local attitude to the planned development, the inhabitants feel that they should receive something in return for giving up “sovereignty” of large areas of their marine environment, she says. This unique case is being used as one if the Norwegian focus areas in the Wendy project.
Last week saw the nine partners in WENDY meet at APPA Renovables facilities in Madrid to present how they have been progressing with the various tasks in the project and how they plan to proceed for the next six months.
There was a lively exchange of information and discussions on how to engage different stakeholders and on the methodology for developing the WENDY tools for the toolbox.
Several workshops among the partners made sure there is a clear idea for how to move forward.
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