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SEAI Survey of Irish Attitudes to Wind and Solar Power, 2022 

Study number (SN): 0084-01

CITATION 

ABOUT THE STUDY 

The purpose of the survey is to understand attitudes and beliefs of people on the topic of commercial wind and solar power infrastructure and specific public policy measures under the government’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). It is particularly aimed at establishing a baseline to compare the attitudes of those who live far (>10km) from new (as of 2022) commercial solar and wind farms with those who live near (<5km from) new infrastructure projects and who may (after 2022) benefit from RESS policies such as community benefit funds or household payments. 

Topics covered include standard socio-demographic variables; familiarity with renewable energy technologies; general attitude to wind and solar power; attitude to wind and solar projects near household; interaction with wind or solar power infrastructure; attitude to the planning process and RESS policies (community benefit fund and household payments). 

The survey data is joined to three variables that provide information on the characteristics of the renewable energy project spatially proximate to each respondent; i.e. the type of project (wind or solar), the scale of the project (MW ranges), and the distance to the nearest project (km ranges).

The survey dataset is cross-sectional, but will also serve as the baseline for a longitudinal study that SEAI is conducting. The aim of the longitudinal study is to understand the effect of RESS policy measures on people who live near the commercial wind or solar PV projects developed under the scheme. Anonymized versions of follow-up surveys will also be shared as updates to this dataset. The first follow-up survey is scheduled for 2025.

Funding information

Research funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Dataset additional information

This dataset is derived from combining new survey data with extant planning data. More information on the survey data can be accessed here: https://www.seai.ie/publications/SEAI-RESS-National-Survey.pdf

Four variables in the dataset (‘pr_type_closest’, ‘pr_dist_ress’, ‘pr_dist_leg’ and ‘pr_scale’) are derived from an existing data collection that SEAI holds on wind turbine and solar PV project characteristics. More information on these are provided in the codebook.

MAIN TOPICS 

• Energy generation
• Energy infrastructure
• Energy policy
• Renewable energy
• Energy transition

COVERAGE, UNIVERSE, METHODOLOGY 

Population 

All persons aged 18 and over, resident within private households located near existing or forthcoming (as of 2022) commercial wind or solar power generation projects in the Republic of Ireland, regardless of nationality, citizenship or other legal status.

Observation units 

• Individuals

Temporal coverage 

From 06/2022 to 10/2022

Time dimension  

Cross-sectional one-time study

Geographical coverage 

Country: Republic of Ireland

Methods of data collection 

• CAPI (Computer Aided Personal Interviewing)
• Other, please specify: CAPI data joined to variables that indicate generic attributes of energy project closest to respondent. These variables were derived from publicly accessible planning documents.

Sampling procedures 

• Multistage sampling

The sample started with 50 of the 68 renewable energy generation projects (wind and solar) that received offers of support under the first auction of the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS1).

Treatment areas were defined as <5km from these sites and control areas as >10km from RESS1 sites. For treatment areas, spatial buffers of 0-1km, 1-2km, and 2-5km was created around each project site (turbine locations or solar array polygon). Survey starting points were selected within these buffers. Surveyors targeted a sample size per site of 5 < 1km, 5 within 1-2km, 10 within 2-5km.

Control areas are 50 Electoral Districts (ED) >10km from a RESS1 site. Each ED site is matched to its ‘nearest neighbour’ control ED by propensity score, matching covariates were age, gender, population density, household size, distance to existing windfarms. The target was 10 interviews at each of the 50 control areas.

More information on the sampling approach can be accessed here: https://www.seai.ie/community-energy/enabling-framework/impacts-research/index.xml or in the accompanying project summary report.

Response rate 

 Observations: 1764

Non-response rate not available.

DATA AND DOCUMENTATION: FILES’ DESCRIPTION  

Data (available through ISSDA application process) 

Documentation (available for download)

LINKS 

Infographic and summary report with initial findings of the survey - https://www.seai.ie/community-energy/enabling-framework/impacts-research/index.xml

ACCESS INFORMATION 

Accessing the data 

To access the data, please complete a ISSDA Data Request Form for Research Purposes - Pseudonymised Datasets, sign it, and send it to ISSDA by email.

For teaching purposes, please complete the ISSDA Data Request Form for Teaching Purposes - Pseudonymised Datasets, and follow the procedures, as above. Teaching requests are approved on a once-off module/workshop basis. Subsequent occurrences of the module/workshop require a new teaching request form.

Data will be disseminated on receipt of a fully completed, signed form. Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned to the data requester for completion.

Please note that any reference to signature and date in this document can be read as meaning the typed name and date where such an application is forwarded electronically. 

Copyright 

The copyright belongs to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)

Acknowledgements

Any work based in whole or part on resources provided by the ISSDA, should  acknowledge: “SEAI Survey of Irish Attitudes to Wind and Solar Power 2022" and also ISSDA, in the following way: “Accessed via the Irish Social Science Data Archive - www.ucd.ie/issda”.

Citation requirement 

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical citation 

Roux, J. Mak, F. Holland, M. Delaney, N. Swinand, G. Privalko, I. Owens, D. Prendushi, K. Redmond, B. Loscher, D. Cotton, C (2023). SEAI Survey of Irish Attitudes to Wind and Solar Power 2022 [dataset]. Version 1. Irish Social Science Data Archive. SN: 0084-01 https://www.ucd.ie/issda/data/seaiattitudeswatersolarpower/seaiattitudeswatersolarpower2022/

Notification 

The user shall notify the Irish Social Science Data Archive of all publications where she or he has used the data.