Proceedings World Bioenergy 2010

BARRIERS OF IMPLEMENTING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN NORTHERN
PERIPHERY
56 world bioenergy 2010
Renvall, J. ( ¹, Puhakka - Tarvainen, H. ( ¹, Kuittinen, V. ( ¹, Okkonen, L. ( ¹, Rice, L. ( ², Pappinen, A. ( ¹
1) North Karelia University of Applied Sciences (NKUAS), Centre for Natural Resources
Väisälänkatu 4, FI-80160 Joensuu, FINLAND
Tel: +358 13 260 6900 Fax: +358 13 260 6901
Email: jarmo.renvall@pkamk.fi
2) Action Renewables, The Innovation Centre, NI Science Park
Queens Road, Belfast, BT3 9DT, NORTHERN IRELAND
Tel: +44 28 9073 7868
ABSTRACT: There is need to increase efforts in implementation of renewable energy solutions and energy efficiency in the
rural communities across the European Union Northern Periphery (NP). EU and state policies are encouraging people,
communities and companies to invest in renewable energy solutions also in rural regions. However, investments are low in
some of Europe's Northern Periphery countries and local decision-makers may have reserved attitude to them due to the need
for certainty of profits and feasibility. Attitude to renewable energy itself is usually positive, but the activities in decisionmaking
can be inadequate. This statement is supported by the results from interviews distributed to local decision-makers in
North Karelia, Finland, during the autumn 2009. Our recent findings from North Karelia, show that local decision-makers
need more decent and objective information about renewable energy for supporting their decision making. Our long term tool
- supported by our recent findings - will be ”Decision Makers Academy” to help local decision-makers in their everyday
work. First pilots of this new tool are under progress in North Karelia in Finland.
Keywords: barriers, decision-making, renewable energy solutions, policy intervention, policymaking
1 INTRODUCTION
North Karelia University of Applied Sciences is a
partner of the EU Northern Periphery Programme (NPP)
project SMALLEST (Solutions for Microgeneration to
ALLow Energy Saving Technology), which aims at
addressing renewable energy development in small
communities. In general, our objectives in the
SMALLEST project are to monitor and analyze the
barriers and bottlenecks of implementing renewable
energy investments and solutions and energy efficiency
in Northern Periphery. The goal for this part of the
project is to help local actors to overcome these barriers,
identify policy interventions and political best practices
and give suggestions for policy interventions needed in
the future. We are elucidating these challenges e.g. by
questionnaires, interviews and conversations in events
arranged during the SMALLEST project in every project
region of NP area.
2 DECISION-MAKING CONTEXT IN NORTHERN
PERIPHERY REGION
In the project we have outlined procedures
concerning renewable energy decision-making in
Finland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands,
Iceland and Sweden.
In general there are four similar main bodies in
decision-making context in Northern Periphery (Fig.1).
We can clearly identify financing bodies, advisory
organisations, interest groups and customers. Similarities
are obvious whilst differences occur inside each body.
Basically the funding opportunities are similar. Same
kind on funding elements can be identified in each
country but there are some certain specialities. A very
good example can be found from Northern Ireland.
Financing for renewable energy can be granted from
outer Irish funds. Also lottery funding in this context is a
special way of funding in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
For example, in Finland lottery funding is given most for
culture or sport.
Figure 1: Decision-making context in Northern
Periphery
In Scandinavian countries one significant feature is the
role of municipalities. Communities (i.e. particular