Abstract
The present report proposes an integrated framework for stakeholder engagement in solar neighborhoods, informed by practical insights from behavioral science (a practice known as behavioral design). The report bookends a series of three workshops on these topics with Task 63 experts, as well as follow-up discussions in general task meetings where the topics of stakeholder analysis and behavioral design were discussed, and case studies collected. All these activities informed the design of our proposed framework. We first report the state-of-the-art on stakeholder engagement methods in urban planning practice in Section 3. In Section 4 we present insights from behavioral science and detail how their application can enrich participatory processes, contextualizing these insights to the case of solar neighborhood planning. This discussion culminates in the development of a stakeholder ENGAGEment-behavioral Design framework (ENGAGED), which we detail in Section 5. The framework is intended to inform engagement processes in solar neighborhood planning and highlight how several phases in the development of a solar project can be informed by engagement activities and citizen participation. In Section 6 we report a series of solar neighborhood stakeholder engagement case studies collected from Task experts. We discuss the reported activities through the lens of our ENGAGED framework, highlighting strengths and limitations. We then present in Section 7 some overall conclusions. Our report highlights that stakeholder engagement activities in solar neighborhoods at present can take many different forms. In some cases, these activities are central to the planning process, while in others their role is primarily to inform citizens and other stakeholders. By adopting a multi-stage approach, such as in our ENGAGED framework, engagement activities can be enriched throughout the life cycle of a solar project, leading to co-created outcomes that are informed by a participatory process. Finally, while behaviors of end-users are often considered, there is still ample opportunity to integrate behaviorchange considerations in a wider engagement process. Insights from behavioral science could be leveraged not only to promote virtuous energy behaviors that support the integration of solar technologies (as is the case in a few of the reported case studies), but also to increase participation in outreach events targeting citizens. Ultimately, our goal with this report is to bring further awareness to the importance of engaging with different stakeholder groups in the context of solar neighborhood planning, and provide practical guidance in this direction.