The WIMBY consortium recently concluded an intensive week in Portugal, hosted by our partner APREN. The week was packed with activities, from interactive workshops in Viana do Castelo and Torres Vedras to our in-person General Assembly. This gathering marked another step in our efforts to enhance wind energy deployment while fostering dialogue with local communities and stakeholders.
Engaging local communities through workshops
The first round of workshops took place in Viana do Castelo on January 23–24, bringing together representatives from the municipality, local community, developers, and academia. Participants had the opportunity to interact with WIMBY’s innovative tools, including immersive 3D simulations and planning game approaches, and the WIMBY interactive map which allowed them to visualise different wind farm layouts and discuss their social, environmental, and economic impacts. Concerning impacts, participants also had the opportunity to join our mental models workshop, where we get a graphical representation of how people relate wind power to its societal, economic and environmental impacts.
The second set of workshops was held in Torres Vedras on January 30–31, following a similar structure, ensuring that diverse perspectives were captured from both locations. These sessions provided a platform for participants to explore concerns and opportunities linked to wind energy, particularly regarding the repowering of existing wind farms
WIMBY General Assembly: aligning for the final year
Between the workshops, on January 27-29, the WIMBY General Assembly took place in Lisbon. This in-person gathering was essential for reflecting on the project’s progress and planning our final year.
We kicked off with the Mental Model Workshop, where WIMBY researchers shared insights on the impacts of wind energy. The rest of the GA focused on updates from all partners, followed by interactive group sessions addressing key topics:
- Exploitation & IPR – Strategies to protect and share WIMBY’s research.
- Energy System Model Interfaces – Connecting wind power with broader energy systems.
- Biodiversity Impacts – Understanding and mitigating ecological concerns.
- Data Visualisation & the WIMBY Interactive Map – Brainstorming how to visualise the datasets produced in the project
- Hard and Soft Constraints in Wind Power Deployment – Identifying barriers and potential solutions for their consideration in the WIMBY interactive map
The in-person format facilitated valuable exchanges, reinforcing our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.
Field visit: experiencing wind power firsthand
On January 29, the WIMBY team planned a field visit to a wind power plant to gain firsthand insights into wind energy deployment in Portugal. However, due to exceptionally strong winds and unfavorable weather conditions, the visit had to be canceled. While the conditions were perfect for wind energy production, they were less ideal for on-site exploration. Despite this, discussions during the General Assembly and workshops allowed for valuable exchanges on wind farm operations, challenges, and best practices.
Looking ahead
With these workshops and discussions, WIMBY continues to strengthen the connection between wind energy development and community engagement. The feedback collected will play an important role in shaping our future work, ensuring that wind energy projects are both effective and widely supported.
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