Present and future patterns of energy usage in rural areas.

Edge, H. Martin

Abstract

The hypothesis presented in this study is that: "There exists considerable potential for a greater degree of rural energy autonomy, especially through the medium of increasing integration between agricultural/forestry and domestic sectors, to make better use of rural energy resources". This is investigated by two basic lines of inquiry. A study of the future of rural areas and their energy resources and use was carried out, firstly by reference to the available literature, and then by a three round 'Delphi' survey of a panel of 'experts' in rural and energy fields. The results of this survey are presented in the form of a single most likely scenario for a fifty year rural future. The second major constituent of the study is a door-to-door survey of houses and farms in areas of the North-East of Scotland, which investigates current energy use and energy resources for a simplified rural system, as well as attitudes to energy in the future. Current energy use and the energy resource in these rural areas is then projected into the future, by application of the characteristics of the most likely scenario in the 'Delphi' study, to the results of the local survey. The ability to extrapolate the results from these survey areas to the more general British rural environment is also explored.

Citation

EDGE, H.M. 1987. Present and future patterns of energy usage in rural areas. Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, PhD thesis. Hosted on OpenAIR [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-1694928

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 21, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 21, 2022
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-1694928
• Keywords: Rural energy consumption; Rural energy usage; Energy consumption; Energy usage; Scotland
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1694928
• Award Date: Feb 28, 1987