Participatory citizen science in solar energy research: going beyond data collection to promote the energy transition

Barbosa, Luisa; Cañizo, Carlos del; Revuelta, Gema

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.22323/2.21020806

Participatory citizen science in solar energy research: going beyond data collection to promote the energy transition

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Barbosa-Gómez L, del Cañizo C, Revuelta G. Participatory citizen science in solar energy research: going beyond data collection to promote the energy transition. JCOM. 2022;21(02):N06. DOI: 10.22323/2.21020806

Abstract

Despite the societal relevance of energy research, there is a distinct lack of citizen science initiatives in the field. This paper reports the experience of a participatory and innovative strategy to develop a citizen science initiative for solar energy research. A number of stakeholders participated in the definition and implementation of the initiative, and tools such as surveys and a hackathon were employed. The process described aims to provide a blueprint for transforming the relationship between citizens and research into societal challenges. Here we describe the collaborative process and analyse the main opportunities, limitations and future perspectives.