E-Trans 2050
Sustainable energy: The future of the Austrian energy system
In the European Union CO2 emissions should be reduced by 90 percent by 2050. To reach this goal, we need a highly efficient energy system, we have to cut our usage in half and we have to make a radical turn towards renewable energy. How can these long-term goals be met in Austria?
The aim of the E-Trans 2050 project was to develop different visions of the future of the Austrian energy system. This process involved different groups of stakeholders from politics, science and business. The aim was to discover how existing and future technical possibilities can be included in the development of society and the economy, public institutions and culture.
Long-term change as a learning process
A long-term transformation of the energy system as required by the European Union's Energy Roadmap 2050 is a complex learning process for everyone involved. Changes will be needed that require an interplay between technologies, institutions, the economic landscape, cultural values and our behaviour and our lifestyle. Account must also be taken of the interests and strategies of business and the stakeholders in civil society.
E-Trans 2050 put forward recommendations for politicians, energy-management and the companies involved:
First we developed a number of scenarios to describe different possible situations: The first scenario is a step-by-step optimisation of the present system. The second assumes a radical change to a more sustainable energy system. The third deals with a possible crisis.
These scenarios were then discussed in two workshops with representatives of different groups of the population.
All three scenarios were assessed for their potential sustainability. Together with the interest groups concerned, we identified the key points for the transformation of the energy system towards sustainability.
In follow-up workshops we looked at specific approaches for dealing with the change in energy supply for three selected fields: space and energy, expansion of the present electricity infrastructure, and the effects of a new energy-system on the broad public.
Publikationen
Publikationen
- . (2014). Making Cross-European Technology Assessment. (T. Michalek, Hebáková, L., Hennen, L., Scherz, C., Nierling, L., & Hahn, J., Eds.), Technology Assessment and Policy Areas of Great Transitions. Prag: Technology Centre ASCR. Retrieved from http://pacita.strast.cz/en/outputs/outputs-list/proceedings-from-the-pacita-2013-conference-in-prague
- . (2014). Transition Pathways to Sustainable Energy Future in Austria – Socio-Technical Scenarios and Key Action Fields. (T. Michalek, Hebáková, L., Hennen, L., Scherz, C., Nierling, L., & Hahn, J., Eds.), Technology Assessment and Policy Areas of Great Transitions. Prag: Technology Centre ASCR. Retrieved from http://pacita.strast.cz/en/outputs/outputs-list/proceedings-from-the-pacita-2013-conference-in-prague
- . (2012). Räumliche Aspekte eines nachhaltigen Energiesystems. In M. Decker, Grunwald, A., & Knapp, M. (Eds.), Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS Karlsruhe) (Tran.), Der Systemblick auf Innovation. Technikfolgenabschätzung in der Technikgestaltung (pp. 351-358). Berlin: edition sigma.
- . (2012). Soziotechnische Szenarien und Kernhandlungsfelder für ein nachhaltiges Energiesystem in Österreich. In M. Decker, Grunwald, A., & Knapp, M. (Eds.), Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS Karlsruhe) (Tran.), Der Systemblick auf Innovation. Technikfolgenabschätzung in der Technikgestaltung (pp. 193-200). Berlin: edition sigma.
- . (2012). Towards a Sustainable Spatial Organization of the Energy System: Backcasting Experiences from Austria. Sustainability, 4, 193-209. Retrieved from http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/2/193/WebsiteRISENWBIB Abstract
The transition to a sustainable energy system faces more challenges than a simple replacement of fossil energy sources by renewable ones. Since current structures do not favor sustainable energy generation and use, it is indispensable to change the existing infrastructure. A fundamental change of the energy system also requires re-organizing spatial structures and their respective institutions and governance structures. Especially in Austria, urban sprawl and unsustainable settlement structures are regarded as one of the main developments leading to increased energy demand. One of the aims within the project E-Trans 2050 was to identify socio-economic constellations that are central to the further transformation of the energy system and to focus on actors and their socio-technical framework conditions. Based on a sustainable future vision for the year 2050 a backcasting workshop was conducted to identify necessary steps for the envisaged transition to a more sustainable energy system. The results shed light on the necessary changes for a transformation towards sustainability in the specific Austrian situation. Critical issues are region-specific production of energy and its use, settlement and regional structures and values and role models, which all have a determining influence on energy demand. Combining the knowledge of extensive energy use with available energy resources in spatial planning decisions is a main challenge towards a long term sustainable energy system.
- . (2011). Spatial planning, regional energy and sustainable development: How are they interlinked?. Changing the Energy System to Renewable Energy Self-Sufficiency. Freiburg.
- . (2011). Pathways to a sustainable energy future in Austria: Sociotechnical scenarios and structural challenges. Submitted papers. Oxford. Retrieved from http://www.ukerc.ac.uk/support/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=1953&displayWebsiteRISENWBIB Abstract
Reducing greenhouse gases by 80%, as demanded by the IPCC, is one of the great long-term challenges facing our societies today and will doubtless require transformative changes to current energy regimes. Large-scale system transitions such as the one envisaged for the global energy system in the next 30-40 years can only be realized through complex processes of change involving global, regional, national, and local levels. In this paper we use sociotechnical scenario analysis to contribute ideas for the transformative change of the current Austrian energy system over the long term and to identify some of the particular policy measures, as well as structural changes and broader shifts in perspective, that would be necessary to deal with such challenges. There is less emphasis on the technical issues involved than on the socio-economic and governance requirements such a shift would demand. We also explain our experiences with the sociotechnical scenario process and its outcomes. In particular, we identify examples of some critical issues and opportunities within one of the identified key action fields and discuss their various implications for energy policy and everyday practices.
- . (2011). Does a decline in energy use lead to economic degrowth?. ESEE 2011 Advancing Ecological Economics: Theory and Practice. Online Archive. Istanbul. Retrieved from http://www.esee2011.org/registration/fullpapers/esee2011_777669_1_1315912182_7355_2346.pdfWebsiteDownloadRISENWBIB Abstract
Economic growth rates as well as energy consumption rates have never been risen to such an exponentially amount as they did last decades. The pressure on the eco-system is immense: energy resources are exploited and GHG emissions cause temperature rise leading to climate change. Energy as one of the pillars of economic growth plays a crucial role in production and consumption processes. The paper wants to explore if a decline in energy supply necessarily leads to stadium of economic degrowth. Neoclassical and other approaches and their empirical findings give no clear results what the causal relationship between energy and economic growth is. Subsequently, the emerging degrowth movement is explored to reflect on the influence of spatial planning decisions, land use and energy on economic growth going further with some considerations about energy efficiency and energy exporting countries and their impact on economic growth. The paper concludes that the impact of energy on degrowth remains unclear but a fall in energy resource use is unavoidable.
- . (2011). Energy efficiency first. Ita-Newsletter, 17. Retrieved from https://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/ita-newsletter/NL0611.pdf#17
- . (2011). Spatial planning, energy and sustainable development – How are they linked?. Moving Toward a Sustainable Future: Opportunities and Challenges. Abstracts.
- . (2011). E-Trans 2050 – Nachhaltige Energie der Zukunft: Soziotechnische Zukunftsbilder und Transformationspfade für das österreichische Energiesystem (Endbericht). Wien.
- . (2010). Critical issues in the spatial organisation in the transition to a sustainable energy system. (Institute of Technology Assessment & Inter-University Research Centre for Technology, Ed.), AES 2010 – Proceedings. Barcelona. Retrieved from http://www.societalmetabolism.org/aes2010/Proceeds/DIGITAL%20PROCEEDINGS_files/Page687.htm
- . (2010). The contribution of innovations in the energy system to degrowth patterns. Online Conference Proceedings <http://www.degrowth.org/Proceedings-new.122.0.html>. Barcelona.
- . (2010). Neue Chancen für Österreichs Energiesystem?. Gaia, 158-160.
- . (2010). Beyond energy scenarios: Exploring critical socio-economic issues in the transformation of the energy system. (Sussex Energy Group, Ed.), Sussex Energy Group Conference 2010 – Online Proceedings. Brighton.
- . (2010). The Degrowth of Energy.
- . (2010). Neue Wege zu mehr Nachhaltigkeit im österreichischen Energiesystem. Ita-Newsletter, 5 f.Retrieved from https://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/ita-newsletter/NL0310.pdf#5
Konferenzbeiträge/Vorträge
Konferenzbeiträge/Vorträge
-
10/10/2014
, Karlsruhe
Michael Ornetzeder:
Austrian E-Trans 2050: Backcasting and socio-technical scenarios
IRGC Workshop on Scenarios for Improving Energy Demand Anticipation -
13/11/2012
, Bern
Michael Ornetzeder:
Systemoptimierung oder radikaler Wandel? Beispiel Österreich
Energiewende – Von der Vision zum Handeln -
04/06/2012
, Wien
Michael Ornetzeder:
TA als sozialer Lernprozess: Sozio-technische Szenarien für ein nachhaltiges Energiesystem
TA'12 – Nachhaltigkeit durch Technik? Zukünftige Aufgaben für die Technikfolgenabschätzung -
17/04/2012
, Maastricht
Michael Ornetzeder:
Socio-technical scenarios for the Austrian energy system
European Energy Conference – E2C -
03/11/2011
, Cleveland
Michael Ornetzeder:
Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future in Austria
Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) -
21/09/2011
, Oxford
Michael Ornetzeder:
Pathways to a sustainable energy future in Austria: Sociotechnical scenarios and structural challenges
Energy and People: Futures, complexity and challenges -
15/09/2011
, Freiburg
Petra Wächter:
Spatial Planning, Regional Energy and Sustainable Development: How are they interlinked?
Changing the Energy System to Renewable Energy Self-Sufficiency -
15/06/2011
, Istanbul
Petra Wächter:
Energy, spatial planning and degrowth: How are they linked?
ESEE 2011 – Advancing Ecological Economics: Theory and Practice -
24/05/2011
, Linz
Michael Ornetzeder, Petra Wächter:
Governance-Mechanismen für nachhaltige Smart Grids
Smart Grids Week -
24/05/2011
, Linz
Michael Ornetzeder:
Smart Response
Smart Grids Week -
09/05/2011
, New York
Petra Wächter:
Spatial Planning, Energy and Sustainable Development: How are they linked?
17th Annual Internatinal Sustainable Development Research Conference: Moving Toward a Sustainable Future: Opportunities and Challenges -
25/11/2010
, Berlin
Petra Wächter:
Räumliche Aspekte eines nachhaltigen Energiesystems – Backcasting als Methode für Systeminnovation
NTA4 -
25/11/2010
, Berlin
Michael Ornetzeder:
Sozio-technische Szenarien und Kernhandlungsfelder für ein nachhaltiges Energiesystem in Österreich
NTA4 -
20/10/2010
, Barcelona
Petra Wächter:
Critical issues in the spatial organisation in the transition to a sustainable energy system
Advances in Energy Studies -
06/11/2009
, Leipzig
Michael Ornetzeder:
Sustainable technology and the critical user: Experiences with focus group discussions between research and participation
Second German Environmental Sociology Summit -
03/06/2009
, La Colle sur Loup
Michael Ornetzeder:
Passive houses in Austria: The role of intermediary organisations for the successful transformation of a socio-technical system
eceee 2009 Summer Study
Duration
10/2008 - 11/2010