Will we be able to produce raw materials for medicines from CO2 in a climate-neutral way in the future? Will trucks, ships or airplanes soon be refueling with hydrogen or e-fuels? And how can green electricity be produced and transported flexibly? These and many other questions are addressed by the traveling exhibition "Power2Change: Mission Energiewende", the conception and reception of which is supported by the TU Ilmenau in terms of communication science. The exhibition was jointly implemented by partners from research, the museum sector and science communication as part of the joint project "Science Communication Energy Transition". It will be on display in Hattingen until December 11, 2022, after which it will travel throughout Germany.
Germany is to be climate-neutral by 2045. To achieve this, we need innovative technologies that will supply our industry and society with environmentally compatible and reliable energy in the future. Green hydrogen will play a key role in this. The Kopernikus projects for the energy turnaround, Carbon2Chem and many other projects that we as the Federal Ministry of Research are funding are preparing precisely these innovations. The Power2Change exhibition brings research in this field to life
says Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, who opened the exhibition.
The exhibition uses interactive media stations to show different paths for the energy transition in industry, business and transportation. Visitors go on "Mission Energiewende" with researchers and learn about challenges, solutions and research projects. Four central topics demonstrate how a secure, affordable and climate-neutral supply of energy and raw materials can function without oil and gas.
Four theme islands
In the Networking theme island, everything revolves around how renewable energies can get to where they are needed - and what the necessary infrastructure for this looks like. How industry can also react flexibly to energy supply and demand, how energy can be stored and processes can be made more efficient, is the focus of the Distribute theme island. The Utilize theme island shows that industrial waste gases can also be put to good use and reused as raw materials. The Transforming theme island is about climate-neutral transport, for goods and people. The exhibition also presents voices from the Ruhr region on the energy turnaround, which the Power2Change: Energiemobil collected in advance in various cities and communities.
Joint project "Science Communication Energy Transition"
The exhibition "Power2Change: Mission Energiewende" was jointly developed by partners from research, the museum sector and science communication within the framework of the joint project "Science Communication Energiewende" and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The joint project is coordinated by DECHEMA e. V. and Fraunhofer UMSICHT. At the TU Ilmenau, the conception of the exhibition and its reception are accompanied by Prof. Jens Wolling, head of Empirical Media Research and Political Communication (EMPK), in terms of communication science:
Without the support of the public, the energy transition will not succeed. That is why we are investigating how the media report on it, how people think about it, and who are those in the respective regions who are driving the energy transition forward. And of course we are evaluating how the exhibition is received by visitors.
Accompanying scientific research
In total, the research team is working on four sub-projects: To learn more about the scope and topics of the public debate and how it changes over time, the researchers are examining media coverage of the energy transition. Through surveys, the team is also investigating how citizens feel about the energy transition. In the run-up to the development of the exhibition, two nationwide surveys were conducted in order to be able to take people's prior knowledge and attitudes toward the energy transition into account when designing the exhibition. With regional surveys at the exhibition locations, the team also wants to find out what people in the respective region think about the topics of the exhibition and which aspects particularly move them.
The study on the local energy transition focuses on regional differences in the commitment to the implementation of the energy transition. It examines which initiatives, companies, scientists, agencies, administrations, etc. are active locally and how this network of actors affects the success of the Energiewende.
The results of the network analysis, the regional surveys and the analysis of the regional media are also presented in the exhibition. Visitors can use a quiz to test how well they know about the energy transition in their region and whether they correctly assess their fellow citizens' opinions on the topic. Regular surveys are also conducted in the exhibition to find out how it is being received. In addition, there are various feedback opportunities in the exhibition and the supporting program. This feedback is evaluated and used to further develop and improve the exhibition.
Power2Change: Mission Energiewende
until 11 December, 2022
LWL-Industriemuseum Henrichshütte Hattingen
Open Tue - Sun, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Contact
Prof. Jens Wolling
Head of Empirical Media Research and Political Communication (EMPK)