Michaud-research
$2.5 million grant supports Loyola professor studying the shift to solar energy
Shifting to solar energy is a critical component of global efforts to fight pollution and climate change, and building community support for solar projects is essential in making this shift. School of Environmental Sustainability faculty member Gilbert Michaud, PhD is part of a team that received a $2.5 million grant to study the best ways to work with stakeholders to site large solar installations. The research team aims to help facilitate the transition to clean, renewable energy.
Gilbert Michaud, PhD, conducts research aimed at facilitating an equitable transition to clean, renewable energy.
Michaud and his partners at the University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University received funding through the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, specifically through their Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program. The team will study the factors that influence the community acceptance of large-scale solar projects.
The research builds on Michaud's ongoing work. He has studied large-scale solar projects for nearly eight years and has given talks on the topic across the United States and internationally. He was also part of a team that received a SEEDS grant in 2021 to examine how rural communities can make informed decisions about large-scale installations, and his expertise led to his inclusion in the new DOE-funded research team.
With the new grant, the researchers will follow 24 solar project sites across the U.S. over the next three years. They will use interviews, surveys, site visits, and other strategies to understand the factors that shape community attitudes about the projects. For example, Michaud noted that mistrust of outside energy companies, or negative attitudes toward renewable energy, can drive community opposition, which can delay or block new solar installations.
"These social factors are slowing down the build-out of renewable energy infrastructure, which is important for the energy transition and reducing harmful emissions from fossil fuel generation assets," he said. "We'll work with communities to better understand what works for them in terms of building projects, and we'll leverage those findings to help other communities considering large-scale solar."
The research team will compare siting practices and area residents' reactions in three community types: disadvantaged communities, communities with historic fossil fuel industries, and communities without these characteristics. The researchers aim to shed light on practices that increase or decrease support for large-scale solar in each community type. They will also investigate strategies for ensuring the equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of large-scale solar projects.
"If we can come up with tangible ways to help citizens learn about and engage with projects, particularly with procedural and distributive energy justice in mind, then we will have been successful and impactful in our research," said Michaud.
Michaud will leverage his extensive relationships with solar developers, local government officials, and other renewable energy experts to lead community and industry outreach in the study sites. He will also help lead stakeholder interviews and analyze messages about solar projects in news outlets and social media.
Loyola students will also have opportunities to get involved in the project. Michaud's DOE funding allows him to offer paid internships for undergraduates and graduate students. Students in his research group assist with activities such as transcribing and coding data and writing reports.
The students gain valuable experience conducting social science research on complex energy policy issues, and they build connections in the renewable energy field. Michaud said that alumni from his research group have all gone on to successful careers in the energy sector, working for solar developers, industry groups, and government agencies.
The new SEEDS grant will enable Michaud, his student interns, and his collaborators to expand their research and help facilitate an equitable transition to clean energy.
Michaud and his partners at the University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University received funding through the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, specifically through their Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program. The team will study the factors that influence the community acceptance of large-scale solar projects.
The research builds on Michaud's ongoing work. He has studied large-scale solar projects for nearly eight years and has given talks on the topic across the United States and internationally. He was also part of a team that received a SEEDS grant in 2021 to examine how rural communities can make informed decisions about large-scale installations, and his expertise led to his inclusion in the new DOE-funded research team.
With the new grant, the researchers will follow 24 solar project sites across the U.S. over the next three years. They will use interviews, surveys, site visits, and other strategies to understand the factors that shape community attitudes about the projects. For example, Michaud noted that mistrust of outside energy companies, or negative attitudes toward renewable energy, can drive community opposition, which can delay or block new solar installations.
"These social factors are slowing down the build-out of renewable energy infrastructure, which is important for the energy transition and reducing harmful emissions from fossil fuel generation assets," he said. "We'll work with communities to better understand what works for them in terms of building projects, and we'll leverage those findings to help other communities considering large-scale solar."
The research team will compare siting practices and area residents' reactions in three community types: disadvantaged communities, communities with historic fossil fuel industries, and communities without these characteristics. The researchers aim to shed light on practices that increase or decrease support for large-scale solar in each community type. They will also investigate strategies for ensuring the equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of large-scale solar projects.
"If we can come up with tangible ways to help citizens learn about and engage with projects, particularly with procedural and distributive energy justice in mind, then we will have been successful and impactful in our research," said Michaud.
Michaud will leverage his extensive relationships with solar developers, local government officials, and other renewable energy experts to lead community and industry outreach in the study sites. He will also help lead stakeholder interviews and analyze messages about solar projects in news outlets and social media.
Loyola students will also have opportunities to get involved in the project. Michaud's DOE funding allows him to offer paid internships for undergraduates and graduate students. Students in his research group assist with activities such as transcribing and coding data and writing reports.
The students gain valuable experience conducting social science research on complex energy policy issues, and they build connections in the renewable energy field. Michaud said that alumni from his research group have all gone on to successful careers in the energy sector, working for solar developers, industry groups, and government agencies.
The new SEEDS grant will enable Michaud, his student interns, and his collaborators to expand their research and help facilitate an equitable transition to clean energy.