Design of a research poster on the Public Acceptance of Municipal District Heating Network in Wesselerbrink, Enschede

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1. Okeke Ifeanyi Johnbosco, ij.okeke@st.hanze.nl Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Master Energy for Society Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 179-211. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1986(23-28), 2. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. sage. Devine‐Wright, P. (2011). Public engagement with large‐scale renewable energy technologies: breaking the cycle of NIMBYism. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2(1), 19-26. Gemeente Enschede (2021). Heat transition vision retrieved on January 10 , 2026 from https://www.enschede.nl/transitievisie- warmte Hoppe, T., Graf, A., Warbroek, B., Lammers, I., & Lepping, I. (2015). 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Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept. Energy policy, 35(5), 2683-2691. Relevance: The transition away from natural gas toward sustainable heating systems by 2050 is a central pillar of the Dutch energy transition (Gemeente Enschede, 2021). Municipal district heating networks are increasingly promoted as a low-carbon alternative, yet their success depends heavily on public acceptance. In Enschede, the Wesselerbrink neighborhood has been identified as a potential area for district heating development, making it a relevant case for examining how residents perceive, understand, and engage with this transition. Public acceptance is not merely an economic or technical issue but also a social one shaped by awareness, trust in institutions, and perceived involvement in decision-making. Therefore, understanding these factors is crucial for ensuring a just, inclusive, and effective heat transition (Onencan et al. 2024). Current situation: Currently, residents appear to have varying levels of awareness, understanding, and perceptions regarding the proposed district heating system, which already exists in some areas, while other areas are planned for 2030 (Figure 1). The experience of similar Dutch neighborhoods indicates that district heating projects often encounter resistance or hesitation due to concerns about affordability, reliability, transparency, loss of choice, and trust in municipalities and heat suppliers (Hoppe et al., 2016). Desired situation: In Wesselerbrink, residents yearn for a heat transition in which the majority of residents are not only technically connected to a district heating network but also socially supportive of it. Research Gap: There is currently little empirical evidence of how residents of Wesselerbrink view the proposed municipal district heating network. The existing policy documents primarily focus on technical feasibility and policy objectives, while social dimensions such as trust, perceived fairness, knowledge levels, and participation remain underexplored. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) suggests that behaviour is driven by behavioural intentions, which are influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. This helps explain why residents may support climate goals but still resist district heating if they perceive low financial outcomes or limited control. Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986) emphasizes reciprocal determinism between personal factors, behaviour, and environmental influences. Key elements include self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and observational learning. These highlight that acceptance is not a one-time decision but a dynamic process shaped by experience and social interaction. Social Acceptance Theory (Wüstenhagen et al., 2007) focuses on the conceptualization of social acceptance in energy research, with an emphasis on three interrelated dimensions: socio-political acceptance, community acceptance, and market acceptance. This emphasizes that acceptance is dynamic rather than static. Residents’ behaviour evolves through experience, learning, and social interaction. Thematic analysis (Figure 2) will be employed in this study to identify recurring patterns related to awareness, trust, and involvement (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Atlas.ti software will be used to support the systematic coding and organization of qualitative data, providing transparency and traceability in the analysis process and facilitating comparisons across participants. As a result of this analysis, theoretical concepts such as trust or participation can be deductively coded, as well as narratives from participants can be inductively coded.  Approach: This research adopts a qualitative case study approach because public acceptance of municipal district heating is a context-dependent, socially constructed, and subjective phenomenon.  Participants: 15 – 20 residents. The sampling strategy employed in this research includes one interview each with two residents residing within the area with existing district heating and two other residents living in the area where district heating is planned, and for validation purposes, a survey can be sent to the other residents and the municipality.  A qualitative research approach is therefore well-suited during the early or transitional stages of infrastructure projects, where meanings and perceptions are still contested and evolving to explore how residents and the municipality interpret, evaluate, and experience the proposed district heating network (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). This approach provides an in-depth exploration of awareness, trust, understanding, and perceived involvement, capturing multiple perspectives, including residents with different levels of exposure to district heating.  Method: Semi-structured interviews are particularly suitable for this study because they provide a consistent framework aligned with the research sub- questions, allowing flexibility in probing unexpected themes and allowing participants to express their concerns, emotions, and interpretations.  This method provides an in-depth understanding of participants' lived experiences, trust, fairness, and acceptance. (See Appendix for an operationalization schedule and interview schema in relation to research sub-question 3) Figure 1: Transitiekaart van de Transitievisie Warmte (Gemeente Enschede, 2021) Applications Thematic Analysis Figure 2: Qualitative data analysis Atlas.ti (Residents’ awareness, participation, trust, inclusiveness and fairness) Interdisciplinary Scope: This research combines insights from energy studies, sociology, governance, behavioral science, and urban planning. Societal impact: This research contributes to a more inclusive and socially just energy transition. It provides valuable insights into how local energy policies are experienced by neighborhood residents through assessments of their awareness, trust, and perceived involvement in decision-making. Limitations: The study also has limitations, particularly the use of a relatively small sample of participants. These limits statistical generalizability, but is appropriate for qualitative studies aimed at providing a deeper understanding of a context. Ethical protocols: Participants must give informed consent and understand the purpose, nature, use, and storage of their data, while maintaining anonymity and confidentiality. Additionally, ensure that participation in the research is voluntary with the right to withdraw at any time. Researchers should also reflect on their own positionality and avoid framing the energy transition in a way that delegitimizes the concerns of residents. Method Qualitative data analysis Software tool Central Research Question: What are the key factors that influence the acceptance of the proposed municipal district heating network by the residents of the Wesselerbrink neighborhood, and how can a policy framework better address these concerns? Sub-questions: 1. What level of awareness and understanding do residents have of the proposed municipal district heating network? 2. How much trust do residents have in the municipality of Enschede regarding the planning and implementation of the district heating network? 3. To what extent do residents feel involved in decision-making processes related to the district heating plans? Problem Statement: Despite the strategic importance of public acceptance, neighborhood-specific information about how residents of Wesselerbrink perceive the proposed municipal district heating network, what concerns they have, and what factors influence their acceptance or opposition to the system is lacking. As a municipality, Enschede has articulated its approach to the heat transition through the Transitievisie Warmte and subsequent neighborhood planning activities.: Public acceptance is identified as a critical factor in the success of energy transition projects, particularly those involving changes to everyday household practices and infrastructures. A social acceptance concept is conceptualized by Wüstenhagen et al. (2007) as consisting of three interrelated dimensions: socio-political acceptance, community acceptance, and market acceptance. Subsequent studies emphasise that even when low-carbon technologies are technically feasible and economically efficient, a lack of public acceptance can delay or derail implementation (Sovacool & Ratan, 2012; Devine-Wright, 2011). In the Netherlands, district heating plays a central role in the national ambition to phase out natural gas in the built environment by 2050 (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, 2019). Van der Schoor & Scholtens (2015) show that Dutch residents often perceive district heating as less flexible and less transparent compared to individual heating solutions such as gas boilers or heat pumps. However, the empirical research by Onencan et al. (2024) demonstrates that while a majority of Dutch residents express conditional support for district heating, acceptance is strongly dependent on trust in institutions, perceived affordability, and clarity of information. Their study of social housing tenants in Haarlem found that a limited understanding of price mechanisms and governance structures led to uncertainty and skepticism, even among residents who supported climate goals. Similarly, Hoppe et al. (2015) highlight that district heating projects in Dutch municipalities often struggle due to insufficient resident engagement during early planning phases. When residents perceive decisions as top-down or predetermined, acceptance tends to decrease, regardless of environmental benefits. Although no peer-reviewed studies focus exclusively on Wesselerbrink, existing research on similar Dutch neighborhoods suggests that acceptance will likely depend on how well municipal policies address trust, affordability, participation, and clarity.