Project Approach

The overarching objective of ECHOES is to unlock the policy potential of an integrated social science perspective on energy behaviour. This includes socio-cultural, socio-economic, socio-political, and gender issues that influence individual and collective energy choices as well as social acceptance of the energy transition in Europe. Hereby, ECHOES will foster the implementation of the SET (Strategic Energy Technologies)-Plan Actions and advance towards the Energy Transition, as well as the decarbonizing of EU’s future energy system.

ECHOES employs the innovative theoretical concept of energy collectives. This concept alludes to the fact that energy choices are affected by different grouping layers. Three layers will be considered in the project:

  1. The perspective of individuals making decisions as part of collectives.
  2. The perspective of collectives constituting energy cultures and life-styles.
  3. The perspective of Formal Social Units such as municipalities, states, energy providers, or NGOs.

ECHOES will analyse the impact of energy collectives in three technological foci:

  • Smart energy technologies.
  • Electric mobility.
  • Buildings.

 You can find a brief video of our project coordinator Prof. Dr. Christian A. Kloeckner describing ECHOES at the following link: ECHOES project description