As a member of the International science support programme COST IES’s leading researcher Anita Zariņa participate the action „Renewable Energy and Landscape Quality (RELY)” Nr. TU1401. The action aims to develop a better understanding of how landscape protection and management, and renewable energy deployment can be reconciled to contribute socio – environmentally to the sustainable transformation of energy system.
In response to climate change, limited fossil fuels, and rising energy demand and prices, renewable energy is heavily promoted throughout Europe. While objectives to boost renewable energy and trans-European energy networks are ambitious, public acceptance becomes a constraining factor, and support for green energy does not always translate into local support for specific projects. Perceived landscape change and loss of landscape quality have featured heavily in opposition campaigns in many European countries. Therefore, RELY investigates the inter-relationships between renewable energy production and landscape quality, and the role of public participation for the acceptance of renewable energy system.
So far in Latvia the relation between renewable energy and landscape quality analysed regarding to location of wind generators and scientific research. The RELY action researchers intend to identify new types of land use for production of renewable energy. As well as, to measure the production impact on the landscape quality and opportunities for public participation. The action will enhance the science base for decision-making, and develop guidelines for public participation in planning renewable energy systems.
The International science support programme COST is the longest-running European framework supporting trans-national cooperation among researchers, engineers and scholars across Europe. Latvia became a member of the COST programme in 1999, but it has been participating in COST activities since 1997.
More about the programme
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