Title:
2MW: a Novel Metamodel to Support the in Participatory Conceptual Design of Wood Fuel Energy Systems: an Example of Application in Mozambique
Author(s):
Martins, R., Cherni, J., Videira, N.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
This paper presents the 2MW, a novel design tool to promote creativity in participatory conceptual design of wood fuel energy systems (WES). In Mozambique over 70% of the population depends exclusively on wood fuel for energy mostly through an informal business that mobilises over 800000€/year and is linked with complex issues (e.g. deforestation, respiratory health). WES are complex socio-ecological systems encompassing a wide number of diversified elements (structural complexity), uncertainty (behavioural complexity) and possible conceptualizations from different actors, e.g., producers, distributers, consumers, policy makers, technical experts, governmental officials, researchers (cognitive complexity). Creative design has been identified as useful path to address complexity, and thus essential to the WES design quality is the effectiveness of design tools (models and approaches) to promote creative options to fulfil predefined objects, e.g., energy sustainability and efficiency. However, while of critical importance, the development of tools to support WES creative design poses an incredible challenge: the need to consider WES structural complexity while providing space for cognitive complexity to be expressed through creative design and problem structuring. The few tools available for WES design do not cope with this challenge since they are concerned with optimizing economic and technological solutions from expert and disciplinary driven perspectives. Fundamentally departing from these tools, the 2MW constitutes a non-normative, non-prescriptive, non-computer based design space/framework for people with different backgrounds and knowledge to enact their imagination and creativity within their own cultural perspectives, while interactively and reflexively engaging in learning dynamics, participatory problem analysis and conceptual design of WES. Practical results show that 2MW effectively and efficiently can involve a wide range of WES actors in knowledge sharing and creative dialogue to produce innovative and more comprehensive and integrated WES designs. The 2MW has been tested in Mozambique and this article analyses the experience, but is potentially useful for bioenergy systems in different contexts.
Keywords:
biomass energy systems, design thinking, systems thinking, embedded creativity, creative design
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Biomass strategies and policies
Event:
23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4CV.2.22
Pages:
1583 - 1595
ISBN:
978-88-89407-516
Paper DOI:
10.5071/23rdEUBCE2015-4CV.2.22
Price:
FREE
