Stage

Energy production by using bread, kitchen and garden waste on neighbourhood level

The goal the project is to set up an energy cooperation runned by the local community in the Wildemanbuurt in the West of Amsterdam. With this project we want to know the feasibility of energy production on neighbourhood level from bread waste and / or kitchen and garden waste.

The Energy Shop in the Lucas community and The Beach, two social incubators in the Wildeman neighbourhood in the West of Amsterdam, want to test the feasibility of energy production from bread waste and / or kitchen and garden waste in their own neighbourhood. The goal of both organizations is to set up an energy cooperation runned by the neighbourhood. The research is part of a project of the ‘Wetenschapswinkel’ from Wageningen UR, together with the Department of Knowledge, Technology and Innovation and Alterra and is a 'Living Lab' within the framework of AMS Institute (Advanced Metropolitan Solutions).  In September a demonstration Biogas unit will be installed, where the production cycle of biogas from old bread can be demonstrated and connected to social activities.

The initiators have the following questions:

  • What is the willingness of local community members to participate in the local production of energy? Is a community mapping tool applicable for answering this question?
  • What is the attitude of the community towards the collection of bio waste and what are the possibilities to collect biomass in the neighbourhood? (Resulting in a pilot on biowaste collection.)
  • How can the demonstration unit be used for increasing the public support for local energy production?
  • What other stakeholders in the neighbourhood can be involved in the energy production?

The total project contains both technical and social components. The sociological research will be integrated with research for the technical feasibility and impact of the setting up of a neighbourhood energy company or cooperation. For organising social activities there is full support of social incubators Lucas Community and the Beach.

We are looking for enthusiastic students who want to do their thesis research and / or internship within this Wetenschapswinkel project. Master Thesis Students can be qualified for an AMS (AMS Institute) certificate by successfully completing their graduation project.

Start and duration project: September 2016 – Februari 2017