Whitaker Ideas Forum: Learning from Living Labs: Experiences from the field

Living Labs are approaches or tools to drive sustainable development by providing spaces for innovative experimentation, by facilitating systematic monitoring and learning, and by involving various actors and users as co-creators of knowledge in real-world settings. As part of the H2020 ENERGISE project (www.energise-project.eu) the team developed ENERGISE Living Labs (ELLs) which are small-scale targeted interventions that aim to engage households and communities in co-creating and experimenting new energy practices. 16 ELLs, engaging 320 households were implemented in eight European countries in the Autumn and Winter of 2018. The aim of the ELLs is to employ practice-based approaches to reduce energy use in households while co-creating knowledge on why energy-intensive practices are performed and how they depend on the context in which they are performed. This presentation outlines the implementation of two of these ELLs in County Tipperary in Ireland. Insights and key learnings from the field are shared including: the role of intermediaries, ELLs and resource commitments, trust relationships with the communities involved and the ongoing sustainability of Living Lab approaches.

This is one of a series of seminars in the Whitaker Ideas Forum. Eimear will be representing the Environment, Development and Sustainability research cluster.

The Whitaker Ideas Forum is a weekly seminar, running Wednesday’s throughout the semester from 1:00pm-2:00pm in CA110. It provides the opportunity for members of the Institute to showcase their research. The result are presentations that highlight the diversity of the research being undertaken, while allowing for an opportunity to engage in discussions and, sometimes, collaboration with attendees. Below, you will find a list of this semester’s seminars, please click the title for more information on that seminar.